CW: torture

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite Disney movies; when asked, I can’t choose between the animated and live-action. I went into As Old as Time with high hopes, but unfortunately, this novel is my least favorite of the Twisted Tales series thus far.

I was intrigued from the beginning, but also confused. The first few chapters switch between characters and timelines in a rather abrupt way. The very first chapter is about a mysterious character that isn’t mentioned again until the last third of the story, which was especially puzzling to me.

The first third mostly followed the animated movie, with a slow middle and then an intriguing twist that led to an exciting finale. So while the pacing could’ve been better, it was an interesting read nonetheless.

My biggest issue throughout the novel was the characters. I understand that retellings can take some liberties with their content, but in this case, there were differences I couldn’t ignore.

Let’s start with Belle. Many are familiar with her level-headed, quirky, bookish nature. In this novel, while her bibliophilic tendencies remain, she was a bit ridiculous. When she’s trying to bring Beast back to the castle after the wolf attack, she demands the winds to please guide her home — because if her mother was an enchantress, maybe she’ll suddenly have magic powers! That totally makes sense! Additionally, there were multiple scenes in which she yelled at Beast or became overcome with emotion in the blink of an eye. That’s not the level-headed Belle I know.

The one that bothered me most was Beast. I feel like this version of him was completely stripped of his complexity as a character. I’m sure that ten years as a beast would be troublesome for everyone, and I acknowledge that in this situation. However, I found it ridiculous that he struggled with basic reading and writing, yet brought up his “expensive” “classical” education more than once. And even for a Prince with no kitchen experience, it shouldn’t be difficult to figure out how to peel an apple. Then there’s my biggest complaint: Beast seemed to react to everything in one of three ways. Roar as loud as he could, whine like a petulant child you might see on Supernanny, or shred the closest item with his claws. I know Beast has anger issues, but there’s a difference between a mature, angry prince, and a roaring, inadequate furball. This Beast was definitely the latter.

Mrs. Potts is more of a minor character, but there was one scene she was in that bothered me. About halfway through, Beast and Belle talk to her about her missing husband. Beast is a bit too blunt, given the subject matter, and in response, Mrs. Potts gets so mad that she boils over and can’t talk properly. I’m sorry, but sweet, motherly Mrs. Potts would never.

This is a rather small detail, but I also want to say that Lumière and Cogsworth were robbed of page time that they absolutely deserve.

Something else I felt was missing is the delicious slow-burn romance between Belle and Beast. Obviously they can’t sing a duet in a book, but in general any romantic elements were absent, in my opinion. Beast has the curse memorized and it clearly states that he needs to love and be loved in return, but after that scene it’s basically ignored until the end, when whoa! They have feelings for each other.

One thing that I enjoyed, minor as it is, is that among Beast’s questionable decisions and a sad moment reminiscent of the live-action movie, Gaston got the humiliation and rejection he deserves. If this retelling did one thing right, it’s that.

I’m not quite sure what I think of the end. It demonstrates the development in Beast, as a Beauty and the Beast retelling should. Aside from that, though, I wasn’t satisfied. I would’ve liked more of a resolution for Belle and the other characters, more details on what happened with the remainder of the curse. An epilogue set after Belle and Beast’s quest would’ve been great.

I had high hopes for As Old as Time, and while it was by no means a bad novel, it was disappointing and mediocre. Here’s to hoping the other books are better.

I loved The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes, and as excited as I was for a heist story in 19th century Paris, I didn’t think The Gilded Wolves could top those. It did. This novel is a masterpiece, and it’s secured Chokshi’s place as one of my favorite authors.

I loved every aspect of this so much, I’m not sure where to start.

The world-building was brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed the combination of Paris and real Parisian history with Chokshi’s intricate magic system and lush writing. There was no info-dumping or confusion; everything simply worked. I was constantly curious and periodically satisfied. This was a true pleasure to get lost in.

In the author’s note, Chokshi talks about wanting to write a story that combined the glamour of Paris with the horrors of that time period. While I wasn’t previously familiar with those horrors and am not qualified to speak on the specifics, as a reader I think she accomplished that. She made it work without overshadowing the plot.

In my opinion, bits and pieces of the story seemed reminiscent of Six of Crows and Ace of Shades, while also being unique and unpredictable. It was dark and delicious, very atmospheric.

Can we take a moment to admire the plot? Magic and mythology are spun into something new, with rebellion, lost inheritance, heists, and puzzles. It was amazingly complex, entirely gripping, and a ton of fun. And even though it only happened once, I was much too happy to solve a puzzle before the crew did and find out I was right.

My favorite part of this novel, hands down, was the characters. It features a very diverse ensemble cast. Séverin is the leader, a French-Algerian boy with a mentally and emotionally abusive past. He has an adoptive brother Tristan, who experienced similar trauma. Laila is a South Indian, specifically Tamil, dancer with a secret, a deadline, and a passion for baking. Enrique is a Filipino-Spanish queer historian, either bisexual or pansexual, though it’s not stated. Zofia is a Jewish Polish mathematician and scientist, and she might be autistic, but I’m not 100% sure of that. Finally, Hypnos is the new addition to the crew, half-Haitian and the queerest diva I think I’ve ever seen outside of Queer Eye, though again, his specific identity isn’t stated. I can’t speak for any of the rep, but thus far I haven’t seen any complaints.

Every one of our six protagonists is wonderfully developed, with a personality you can’t help but love. On their own, they’re amazing. Put them together and they steal your heart. They certainly stole mine. The banter is so much fun, and I loved all of the relationship dynamics. As the story progresses, we see Laila and Zofia solidify their friendship, Séverin’s brotherly love and desire to protect Tristan, some romantic tension between one couple that refuses to call themselves a couple, and a slow-burn that I, for one, didn’t see coming. The friendship and the banter and the feelings and the kisses…I can’t even with these characters. This is possibly my favorite execution of the found family trope ever.

I’ve seen people praise this story and say that it will surprise and destroy you. I wasn’t sure what to expect while reading, but I can tell you now that that’s 100% true. This story is a whirlwind of emotion, despite being under 400 pages. The closer I got to the end, the more intense the emotions were. Who gave Chokshi permission to get me attached to these characters and then put them through this crap?! I mean, yeah, it’s a sign of her incredible skill, but I was already aware of that. Rude. Don’t hurt my sweet little disasters.

And then there’s the ending… It’s not okay. I’m not okay. I need the sequel and I need everything to be fixed. Last night when I closed the book, I legitimately had to sit there and process what happened for a good five minutes before opening Twitter to shout about it.

So if you couldn’t already tell, I absolutely loved The Gilded Wolves. This novel will undoubtedly have a place on my favorites of 2019 list, and I look forward to shoving it in unsuspecting people’s faces as I eagerly await any snippet of news regarding the next book.

I wanted to read Shadow Me before the release of Defy Me, and that was quite easy to accomplish. I read the majority of this novella in under an hour, and it’s confirmed that, although I love Juliette and Nazeera, Kenji is the star of the Shatter Me series.

I’m sure we all knew that already.

I love Mafi’s writing and I believe her storytelling improves with each story she writes. But if I’m being honest, I’m not sure what the point of this novella is. It’s entirely my fault for believing it takes place after Restore Me, when the synopsis clearly states otherwise. However, this was basically a 100 page rehash of the ending — and other scenes — from Kenji’s perspective, with a bit more clarification and some additional backstory on various side characters as well as the Reestablishment.

As much as I like witty dialogue and Kenji’s lovely, amusing personality, I don’t believe this was necessary whatsoever.

This novella is only 100 pages, so saying any more would likely be redundant. I’ll end this review by saying that I had fun reading Shadow Me, but I was mostly unsatisfied and will now resume waiting for the next full installment.

CW: death, gore, car accident, grief, homophobia, transphobia, body-shaming

I wasn’t a huge fan of We Are The Ants and checked the audiobook version of this novel out on a whim. Unfortunately, The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried didn’t work for me.

First, I was extremely bored. The story dragged and not much happened. I considered DNFing multiple times, but I persevered. Spoiler alert: I wish I’d stopped. It didn’t get better, and I kept watching the audiobook clock, waiting for the end and wondering why it was still going. Maybe that’s bad of me, but I’m here to be honest, so. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The end was too open for my tastes. Hutchinson came up with an interesting premise and ultimately, only resolved half of it. I stuck with this story because I was curious, and when the audiobook ended, sans explanation, I felt cheated. It felt like a waste of time, sorry not sorry.

While I don’t think reading a different format would’ve made a difference, the audiobook narrators didn’t help. They did fine with their respective protagonist, but the other voices in the chapters sounded fake and occasionally grated on my nerves.

I didn’t like Dino or July. Both were stubborn and annoying, and so many problems could’ve been solved by not holding grudges and listening to the other person. This story takes place in the summer before senior year, and both of them repeatedly bring up incidents from sixth grade or sophomore year. In my opinion, your friendship would be stronger if you didn’t hoard grudges like children hoard candy.

July is also a problematic character, and I’m not sure why. She’s a cis, straight girl, but made jokes and generalizations about the gay community and called Dino’s trans boyfriend his girlfriend. Additionally, she knew that Dino was uncomfortable with his body, but made fun of him for it. Even though he called her out on it, I’m not sure why it was necessary. Hutchinson could’ve pulled off the same character arc — a self-centered, insensitive girl realizing the error of her ways — without including the problematic jokes and comments.

Maybe there’s something I’m missing, but I didn’t like what happened with Dino and July’s friendship. They were estranged friends trying to mend their relationship before July died for good, though they weren’t sure when that would be. I wish Dino had told July that enough was enough and cut her off, because she was a toxic friend. But they decided they’d both been bad friends and needed to apologize, when in my opinion, the only thing Dino did was call July out.

I fully believe that Rafi, Dino’s wonderful, supportive trans boyfriend, was the best character and deserved more page time. Their relationship was rocky until the end, but once they were finally together, I loved their dynamic.

As a random final thought, I liked the Hairspray references. It’s one of my favorite musicals and I’m glad to see YA characters appreciating it.

The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried wasn’t a terrible novel, but admittedly, it’s one of my least favorite books of the year thus far. Despite my issues, I do plan to read some of Hutchinson’s other work, and hopefully enjoy that more.

CW: poverty, depression, suicidal thoughts, abandonment

I didn’t plan to read this novel, but checked the audiobook out on a whim. Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee was a cheesy story sprinkled with unexpected emotion, but overall merely average.

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading, and two girls hosting a public access horror show wasn’t it. The Midnite Matinee was often cringeworthy, but it grew on me. The vampire costumes and puns were fun, the value it held in Delia and Josie’s friendship endearing.

A big part of the story is Delia tracking down the father that abandoned her and her mother nearly ten years prior. She’s still trying to cope with those emotions, still wondering why. Her dad leaving sent her mom’s depression spiraling worse than ever before, and left Delia doubting that anyone would be a permanent figure in her life. While my situation doesn’t mirror hers, I’ve had something similar happen with my own father. I really empathized with her as she realized that she’d never have a father figure and tried to recover from that new wave of emotional turmoil. I didn’t believe this novel would be as heartbreaking as the blurbs implied, but this aspect hit home and proved me wrong.

Despite the emotions that subplot brought out in me, this novel wasn’t my favorite. Some aspects were overly dramatic — the horror star Delia and Josie sought out at a convention was literally involved with the Russian mafia. Others were ignored in favor of less favorable things — Josie’s boyfriend Lawson, a sweet MMA fighter, occasionally helped with the show but mainly drove a wedge between her and Delia. Additionally, the writing was plain, and for the most part, I didn’t care about what was happening.

To be honest, I don’t have much else to say about Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee. If not for the subplot with Delia’s father, this would likely be a two star read. That was a crucial part of Delia’s character development and her relationship with her mother, and it allowed for positive depiction of antidepressants in everyday life. But I didn’t care much about the other aspects, and in time, I likely won’t remember this novel.

CW: death, murder, imprisonment, abusive relationship, poison, throat cutting, blood, drowning, burns/death by fire

While I didn’t hear much about this novel prior to reading it, I was excited by the idea of a murder mystery in a fantasy world. Four Dead Queens delivered that and more, a story of glamour, suspense, romance, and, of course, murder.

Let me start by saying that the world-building in this novel is amazing. In the beginning there’s a brief overview of each of the four quadrants in Quadara, what they’re known for, which queen rules them. Marguerite is the queen of Toria, the ambitious, education-centered quadrant. Iris is the queen of Archia, the fertile quadrant and supplier of crops. Corra is the queen of Eonia, the cold, medically and technologically focused quadrant. Stessa is the queen of Ludia, the center of art, fashion, and pleasure. Together they rule Quadara, striving to improve it even more, while also obeying the queenly laws that are listed at the start of the novel. Nearly every chapter was rich with detail without ever coming off as overwhelming or forced, and I applaud Scholte for pulling that off.

Even though this is a stand-alone, I would happily read more set in the world of Quadara, as there are so many possibilities with characters both familiar and unknown. That being said, I’m glad the story was condensed into one thrilling book, rather than drawn out into a duology, trilogy, or five book series. We have plenty of that in YA already, thank u, next.

The characters absolutely won me over. Keralie and Varin were great protagonists, and I enjoyed their dynamic, as the former is a skilled thief and the latter is a good, innocent messenger. Every major character had a backstory and a personality. The queens and antagonists felt as fleshed out as Keralie and Varin, something that I truly appreciated.

There’s a subtle romance in this novel, between our two protagonists. It’s a lovely, simmering slow-burn relationship. Is it necessary? Not at all. Do I ship it? You better believe I do. It takes forever for them to kiss, but once they did, I was invested. There are no grand declarations of love, only small acts and attention to detail, but it will tug at your heartstrings all the same. Or maybe that’s just my hopeless romantic side showing.

On the subject of romance, there’s one detail I can’t help but question. Two of the queens are sapphic and in a relationship, and since none of the queens are related, I would usually be on board. However, this isn’t mentioned until one is already dead, and the other dies soon after. Of course, given the title, this is necessary. But I wonder why Scholte decided to tease readers with this rep when ultimately, she had to take it away. As much as I tend to love sapphic characters and relationships, I think, in this situation, it would’ve been better to leave it out altogether. Bury the bury your gays trope 2019.

The murder mystery was done very well. I suspected someone new every few chapters, even had a couple of wild theories, but never managed to guess who the killer was. There was a brilliant amount of intricate scheming, and a couple of twists in the last fifteen percent of the story really packed a punch.

Despite that, I have to admit that I was confused. Not only did some minor details seem to contradict each other — though it’s possible I missed a clarifying detail — I also wasn’t sure how I felt about the reveal of the culprit. It made enough sense to satisfy me, but it was a bit of a letdown. The motive felt cliché, and I think certain decisions lessened the effect. I can’t say more without spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that.

Lastly, I want to mention that I listened to this on audio and was very impressed. There are two narrators, and both did well, making an excellent final product. I recommend it, if you like/can access audiobooks.

Four Dead Queens exceeded my expectations in almost every way. It’s honestly a wonderful debut, and I think Scholte is an author to watch. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

The review that explains the issues with this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2725140484
The author’s response and apology: https://twitter.com/kosokojackson/status/1101180233913376773?s=21

3.5 stars

CW: blood, torture, kidnapping

I seem to be in the minority on this one. Mirage was an enjoyable novel, but I didn’t like it as much as many others seem to.

First, this novel is described as science fiction, but it reads like a fantasy that occasionally features sci-fi elements, such as droids. The story takes place on a few different planets within a galactic empire, though I feel it could’ve flowed more smoothly if it were merely across two or three continents. From time to time I even forgot that it was set in space. I can’t help but wonder if this decision was made in an attempt to cover up loose ends, rather than benefit the story.

Amani came off as a rather plain protagonist. I wanted to like her, but unfortunately, I found her average. She didn’t seem to have any goals aside from protect her family, and a simple personality. Her narrative lacked passion. I believe a bit of depth would’ve done her a world of good.

While the story was fun to read, I wasn’t invested. I read because I was curious, not desperate to know what happened next. I was interested, not hooked. However, I did like the concept of a body double, and would love to read more body double stories in YA. It’s intriguing and not explored enough; are there more? Is anyone writing more? I hope so. Let’s make this a trope.

The world is Moroccan-inspired and focuses heavily on colonization and oppression. I’m white and therefore not qualified to discuss these aspects. Instead, I recommend checking out this lovely, eloquent review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2133374768?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Idris is the love interest, and although I liked him as a character, I have mixed feelings on his relationship with Amani. It developed quickly, bordering on insta-love, and felt like the typical star-crossed romance that many YA novels feature. Admittedly, their moments alone were cute, but my opinion stands. It’s unlikely that anything good will come from this.

My favorite character was definitely Maram. She was the most complex and therefore, in my opinion, the most interesting. She’s believed to be the cruel daughter of a cruel king, and upon meeting her, I was inclined to believe it. But as the story progressed, readers see another side of her, a side that’s friendly and unsure. I disagreed with her choices in the final chapters, but I’m curious to see how she might change in the coming sequel.

The relationship I’m really here for is Amani and Maram’s tentative friendship. Amani pities Maram but doesn’t let that stop her from doing what she thinks is right. They grow and regress, and in my opinion, that’s one of the highlights of the story, though it was occasionally hard to read. I liked watching them bond and warm up to one another, cooking and bantering, trying in their own way.

I also liked the inclusion of Kushaila poetry. It played a part in Amani’s life before and after her kidnapping, as well as her relationship with Idris. It was a minor detail, but I appreciated it.

Even though I wasn’t the biggest fan of Mirage, I can see why other people like it and the potential the next two books have. I’m not sure why this is going to be a trilogy, but I’m curious enough to try at least the second book.

”The blood never dies. The blood never forgets.”

In my review of The Last Magician, I said I thought that I was ready for the sequel. Looking back, that made me laugh, because I absolutely was not ready. Everything I loved about the first novel was amplified in this one, allowing The Devil’s Thief to join its predecessor on my all time favorites shelf and break my heart into a million pieces all over again.

Esta is one of my favorite characters. She’s an empathetic, badass, time-traveling thief out for revenge and I love her so much. She knew what she wanted and what she had to do and she was determined to do it. She wasn’t about to let any man do what needed to be done while she sat back; she was going to be out and in charge, no matter what. What a queen. If she doesn’t get a happy ending, I’ll riot.

Harte is also one of my favorite characters. Occasionally he acted terribly and I wanted to slap him, but for the most part I felt bad for him. He doesn’t deserve the hand Maxwell dealt him. The moments where his old self shone through made me really happy and sad simultaneously, because one minute there’s the Harte I know and love, then boom! He’s controlled. It sucked. If he doesn’t live through this and get what’s in him out, I’ll riot.

Can you tell I’m attached to these characters?

Viola and Jianyu really step up in this novel, from side characters to protagonists in their own right. The former is a sapphic Italian girl that is absolutely sick of your crap and will stab you, while the latter is a Chinese boy questioning his past decisions but dedicated to keeping his promises. I love them both so much, and their development in the story was interesting. I’m proud of how far they’ve come and would absolutely give them each a hug, though Viola would probably stab me.

Two antagonists return from the previous novel, both righteous and strategically evil, and a new one joins their ranks. I despised all three of these characters with every fiber of my five foot tall being, and I wish they would walk off a cliff into a sea of Legos, barefoot. Thank u, next.

Esta and Harte had a delicious slow-burn, hate-to-love romance in book one, and I was excited and nervous to see where it would go from here. Maxwell didn’t hold back; she honestly tortured the two of them in nearly every way possible. The power in Harte wants to use Esta, but Harte wants Esta romantically and she shares his feelings. They’d get close, but inevitably something bad would happen and Harte would isolate himself. After a scene where things went especially wrong, Esta promises herself that she won’t make the mistake of opening her heart to Harte again, and it was legitimately painful to read. There’s so much tension between the two of them and it’s done so well, but it hurts. They’re going to be the death of me.

Before I started reading, I tweeted something along the lines of, “please, beautiful doorstop, don’t break my heart,” and it didn’t. It destroyed my heart and soul. If you haven’t read these novels or didn’t enjoy them as much, you’ll think I’m exaggerating, but I’m not. I’m completely invested and I mean everything I say, one hundred percent.

One of my favorite parts of this novel is undoubtedly Viola’s love life. She meets a new character in less than ideal circumstances and right away, her thoughts about said character set off some sort of sapphic alarm in my head. In her first POV chapter, it’s revealed through small details that she feels similarly about Viola. I’m being vague on purpose, but my point is that I was right and I’m extremely happy about it. Viola and the new girl have a complex, tenuous relationship, but they kiss and it’s perfect…and then everything falls apart. I shouldn’t expect anything else at this point, but fingers crossed there’s some sapphic happiness in the next book. If there isn’t, you guessed it, I’ll riot.

The story takes place in 1902 New York and 1904 Missouri. Two timelines means twice as much suspense, action, and heartbreak. It was a doubly wild ride and I was in no way prepared for all of the twists Maxwell threw at me. Some say the pacing was uneven, the story too long, but I disagree. I think everything was managed brilliantly, that the length allowed proper development in both characters and plot, that the constant perspective switches between so many characters allowed tension to build and curiosity to simmer.

Another element I really liked was the unique spin Maxwell put on the classic rebellion trope. I can’t say much without spoilers, but there was a group of magic-wielding characters with a rather interesting idea of leveling the playing field. It may very well be one of the most intriguing, one of a kind rebellion plots I’ve ever read.

The worst part of this novel was the cliffhanger it ended on, and that’s not because it was done poorly. It was actually done exquisitely, and my problem lies with the complete lack of information available regarding the next installment. No title, no cover, no synopsis, not even a release year! You can’t end a book this way and just leave us hanging! Well, you can, I suppose, and Maxwell did, but I’m bitter that she did and desperate to know what happens next.

If it wasn’t already abundantly clear, I adored The Devil’s Thief. There are so many complex characters and elements and I’ve become so invested in this story, in this trilogy. I loved every page of this novel, even though reading it was an experience more stressful than any school exam I’ve taken or speech I’ve given. It’s absolutely earned a place on my favorites of 2019 list.

I don’t know how I’ll manage waiting for the release of the third and final novel, or how everything will be wrapped up in that novel, or how I’ll survive reading it, given the impact the first two have had on me. But I’m as ready as I probably ever will be. //end rant

~second read, January 2019~

I’m glad I reread this. It was fun to compare the book to the movie — which I’ve watched at least twenty times. However, this time around, some parts came off as juvenile, though I’m going to blame that on my being older rather than classify it as a fault.

For the most part, I agree with everything I said in my original review. I still don’t like Josh or Margot very much, but Peter has grown on me, thanks to the movie. I’m glad they changed Chris in the movie, because while she was a decent character in the book, in general I feel she has a better personality on screen.

And I approve of all the baking. Lara Jean makes me want to bake all the things.

~first read, June 2016~

LOOK I FINALLY READ IT.

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I'd hoped to. The story was simple but fun and engaging, and I really liked Lara Jean. I could relate to her in a lot of ways: we're both short, we both are fairly quiet, we love fashion, and we stay at home more than we go out. I also liked that she and her family are Korean, which is something I've only ever seen before in maybe one book. She's also a little bit older than me, but otherwise, she's the Asian, less bookish version of me. :D

I liked Lara Jean's family too, for the most part. I liked her dad, and the way he tried his absolute best to raise three girls on his own. I think he did a great job. I liked Margot in the first few chapters, but after she left for Scotland I felt disconnected from her and like she became a lot colder. Especially in the end, she went against what Lara Jean needed. I have mixed feelings about Kitty. She was cute and fun, but also kind of a brat. I mean, the reveal in the very end proves that. Yes, she apologized, but sisters should never do something like that to each other. I have to admit, I was slightly disappointed with the family dynamic, since everyone said it was so amazing and realistic. It was realistic, but I wouldn't call it amazing.

My biggest issue was with the love interests, Peter and Josh. Peter was a cocky athlete with only his best interests in mind, and Josh was an introverted fanboy that had been friends with Lara Jean and her family for years. Normally I would've loved Josh, and I did in the beginning. I started to have an issue with him when he tried to tell Lara Jean that Peter wasn't good enough for her. Yes, it was sweet that he was looking out for her and yes, he was right, but he didn't really have any business with that. I had a sort of love-hate relationship with Peter throughout the book, but for nearly the entire second half I thought he was a jerk. Especially toward the end. So as of right now, I ship Lara Jean with no one.

Although I have to say, the Halloween scene was so cute and amusing. Lara Jean dressed up as Cho and Josh dressed up as Harry, coincidentally, and they pretended to cast spells on each other. That made me squee, but that was also the only cute romantic moment I can think of.

Overall, I did like the book, but as you can tell, my two biggest issues were the two things that make the book popular. So, would you say the second book improves and is worth reading? Because I'm not sure whether I want to read it or not. >.