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I would like to thank the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the ARC of this book. I read an advanced copy of this book, so the final edition of the book might be slightly different. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.
I always love throwing in a mystery/thriller book in between my fantasy books, as it brings a nice break from it all while still being really fun and entertaining to read! When I was approved for this book, I was honestly really excited, since it seemed right up my alley! I’d read a few podcast based mysteries before, and adored them, and was honestly so sure it would be the same here!
Unfortunately, that was far from the case. Right from the beginning, something about the writing and characters didn’t work for me. They felt so juvenile, in a way that set it apart negatively from other YA mysteries I’d read before. I know that with younger characters, more bad decisions, reckless ideas, and naivety is expected, but it almost felt absurd here. The worst character for me was Cam, and while I could relate to her on many levels, she was honestly just such a horrible person and friend. She never really had any care for others nor paid attention to how her actions would harm others, and she never really learns from her mistakes either. She consistently only cared about herself, and even after she caused more and more pain to her mother, friend, and others around her, she doesn’t really actually stop. At some point, it just also happens to work out in the favor of her loved ones, and all seems to be forgiven. Blair also felt really flat, and she really only seemed to have one driving force that wasn’t really fleshed out at all. It almost felt like she was a side character in her own story, that’s how underutilized she was.
The plot was also quite predictable, which is always really frustrating in these sorts of books. I was also just never fully swept away by the mystery, and I think from the set-up it already started falling flat for me. I never had a reason to really be invested in Cam and Blair solving the mystery, because I wasn’t invested in anyone involved (not even Clarissa, especially not Clarissa).
Overall, this book really wasn’t for me at all, and I’m so disappointed because I had really high hopes for it! (I did really like that we had a queer relationship in this book though!)
I always love throwing in a mystery/thriller book in between my fantasy books, as it brings a nice break from it all while still being really fun and entertaining to read! When I was approved for this book, I was honestly really excited, since it seemed right up my alley! I’d read a few podcast based mysteries before, and adored them, and was honestly so sure it would be the same here!
Unfortunately, that was far from the case. Right from the beginning, something about the writing and characters didn’t work for me. They felt so juvenile, in a way that set it apart negatively from other YA mysteries I’d read before. I know that with younger characters, more bad decisions, reckless ideas, and naivety is expected, but it almost felt absurd here. The worst character for me was Cam, and while I could relate to her on many levels, she was honestly just such a horrible person and friend. She never really had any care for others nor paid attention to how her actions would harm others, and she never really learns from her mistakes either. She consistently only cared about herself, and even after she caused more and more pain to her mother, friend, and others around her, she doesn’t really actually stop. At some point, it just also happens to work out in the favor of her loved ones, and all seems to be forgiven. Blair also felt really flat, and she really only seemed to have one driving force that wasn’t really fleshed out at all. It almost felt like she was a side character in her own story, that’s how underutilized she was.
The plot was also quite predictable, which is always really frustrating in these sorts of books. I was also just never fully swept away by the mystery, and I think from the set-up it already started falling flat for me. I never had a reason to really be invested in Cam and Blair solving the mystery, because I wasn’t invested in anyone involved (not even Clarissa, especially not Clarissa).
Overall, this book really wasn’t for me at all, and I’m so disappointed because I had really high hopes for it! (I did really like that we had a queer relationship in this book though!)
More like a 2.5 really. Great start, but then flawed execution and messy ending really let me down.
I would like to thank the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the ARC of this book. I read an advanced copy of this book, so the final edition of the book might be slightly different. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.
I think this is now the 4th book of Silvia’s that I’ve read, and still she manages to surprise me every time. I don’t think I’ve ever read an author that has quite so much range, and Signal to Noise is that the latest example of that. It’s unlike the other books I’ve read by this author so far, and yet is still just as strong as the rest of her work.
This book is also just quite unique in general, and I don’t think I’d ever read anything quite like it! I really enjoyed being introduced to a setting that I simply have not read much in yet, and I loved seeing how much the setting played a role, both in the story and in the effect it had on Meche. The writing supported this setting extremely well too, and I could feel the presence of the city in the story. I also really loved how magic was used in this story, and while it’s often hard for me to find urban fantasy that really works for me, this is a great example of what I do love about this genre. It blends the contemporary themes and aspects so well with magic, without either taking too much of the story. I also loved how magic was tied to something so personal to Meche, and that it takes different shapes for everyone.
The narration of this book was also fantastic, and I really enjoyed the flipping back and forth between the past and present. I did have a slight preference for the present, though it also took up less space in the story, but that’s largely because Meche was sometimes so hard to read in the past. She’s a classic teenager, but amplified by her anger and by her newfound magic, and it was easy to get frustrated with her, especially at the end. But even through it all, I found myself understanding her and rooting for her, even if I wouldn’t have made the same decisions.
Overall, I adored this book, and I can’t wait to continue on reading more of Silvia’s works. I wasn’t entirely sure if I would love this one as much as the others, but in the end, it surprised me!
I think this is now the 4th book of Silvia’s that I’ve read, and still she manages to surprise me every time. I don’t think I’ve ever read an author that has quite so much range, and Signal to Noise is that the latest example of that. It’s unlike the other books I’ve read by this author so far, and yet is still just as strong as the rest of her work.
This book is also just quite unique in general, and I don’t think I’d ever read anything quite like it! I really enjoyed being introduced to a setting that I simply have not read much in yet, and I loved seeing how much the setting played a role, both in the story and in the effect it had on Meche. The writing supported this setting extremely well too, and I could feel the presence of the city in the story. I also really loved how magic was used in this story, and while it’s often hard for me to find urban fantasy that really works for me, this is a great example of what I do love about this genre. It blends the contemporary themes and aspects so well with magic, without either taking too much of the story. I also loved how magic was tied to something so personal to Meche, and that it takes different shapes for everyone.
The narration of this book was also fantastic, and I really enjoyed the flipping back and forth between the past and present. I did have a slight preference for the present, though it also took up less space in the story, but that’s largely because Meche was sometimes so hard to read in the past. She’s a classic teenager, but amplified by her anger and by her newfound magic, and it was easy to get frustrated with her, especially at the end. But even through it all, I found myself understanding her and rooting for her, even if I wouldn’t have made the same decisions.
Overall, I adored this book, and I can’t wait to continue on reading more of Silvia’s works. I wasn’t entirely sure if I would love this one as much as the others, but in the end, it surprised me!
Peak sapphic vibes ngl, love my chaos bisexuals
I would like to thank the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the ARC of this book. I read an advanced copy of this book, so the final edition of the book might be slightly different. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.
I honestly had high hopes going into this book, even if I wasn’t the biggest fan of Perfect on Paper, and somehow, this book met them! Something about this concept seemed perfect to me (a dating show, but the contestants fall in love with each other instead??), and it felt executed really well to me! My main argument is that there’s no way these characters felt like they were 18-20, and I overall would’ve liked the book to have featured slightly older characters to make the plot overall a bit more believable, but at some point I just kind of ignored the fact that everyone was supposed to be that young and then it worked better for me!
Overall, this book is just plain fun. It’s got a cute romance at its center, while banding together a bunch of women against one dude who really really sucks. I also really adored both characters for different reasons, and the way they balanced each other out worked really well for both the plot and their romance. While Maya was chaotic and fully just going for her plan without thinking it through, Skye forced her to stop and think things through, while still being totally on board with making Jordy pay. It really worked in that opposites attract sort of way, while still being entirely convincing that these two people would actually work well together!
Honestly, my biggest disappointment was that no one actually gave Jordy what he deserved on the page, because I really need to see that guy get absolutely demolished. But in the end, I felt like the plot came to a more comfortable conclusion at the end, if not entirely satisfying revenge wise. (He was honestly also a great way to bring everyone together, because he just sucked so much).
Overall, this was such a fun and cute read, and I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future! I can’t wait for this to release, so everyone can get on reading this!
I would like to thank the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the ARC of this book. I read an advanced copy of this book, so the final edition of the book might be slightly different. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.
I honestly had high hopes going into this book, even if I wasn’t the biggest fan of Perfect on Paper, and somehow, this book met them! Something about this concept seemed perfect to me (a dating show, but the contestants fall in love with each other instead??), and it felt executed really well to me! My main argument is that there’s no way these characters felt like they were 18-20, and I overall would’ve liked the book to have featured slightly older characters to make the plot overall a bit more believable, but at some point I just kind of ignored the fact that everyone was supposed to be that young and then it worked better for me!
Overall, this book is just plain fun. It’s got a cute romance at its center, while banding together a bunch of women against one dude who really really sucks. I also really adored both characters for different reasons, and the way they balanced each other out worked really well for both the plot and their romance. While Maya was chaotic and fully just going for her plan without thinking it through, Skye forced her to stop and think things through, while still being totally on board with making Jordy pay. It really worked in that opposites attract sort of way, while still being entirely convincing that these two people would actually work well together!
Honestly, my biggest disappointment was that no one actually gave Jordy what he deserved on the page, because I really need to see that guy get absolutely demolished. But in the end, I felt like the plot came to a more comfortable conclusion at the end, if not entirely satisfying revenge wise. (He was honestly also a great way to bring everyone together, because he just sucked so much).
Overall, this was such a fun and cute read, and I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future! I can’t wait for this to release, so everyone can get on reading this!
I would like to thank the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the ARC of this book. I read an advanced copy of this book, so the final edition of the book might be slightly different. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.
I’ve read a few books by this author now, and while not all have been favorites, she’s definitely written some of the most atmospheric books I’ve ever read. This was already true for Fable, where I could actually feel myself at sea, it’s only heightened for Spells for Forgetting. Saoirse seems to spring from the page itself, until you can smell the apples on the breeze and feel the old magic stirring beneath your feet.
I would’ve loved this book for the setting and atmosphere alone, but then the characters and the twisted web of politics and relationships on the island only further support the setting. There is so much trauma and hidden secrets buried on Saoirse, all bound together by this strange island magic that people both love and are scared of. It all blends together to make the perfect September read, and was able to transport the feeling of the end of summer and the beginning of fall to May (when I read my ARC).
This book also managed to keep me on the edge of my seat, constantly thinking of theories and possibilities and answers to all the mysteries of the island. The large range of POVs was also an excellent addition to the mystery and intrigue of the island, as we were able to see little snippets of people beyond just August and Emery. It also added an extra layer of cohesion and connection between everyone on the island, and proved just how closely bound everything actually was on Saoirse.
I’d honestly recommend this book based just on the vibes, but there’s so much more to enjoy and get sucked up in in here as well. This should definitely be on your fall tbr!
I’ve read a few books by this author now, and while not all have been favorites, she’s definitely written some of the most atmospheric books I’ve ever read. This was already true for Fable, where I could actually feel myself at sea, it’s only heightened for Spells for Forgetting. Saoirse seems to spring from the page itself, until you can smell the apples on the breeze and feel the old magic stirring beneath your feet.
I would’ve loved this book for the setting and atmosphere alone, but then the characters and the twisted web of politics and relationships on the island only further support the setting. There is so much trauma and hidden secrets buried on Saoirse, all bound together by this strange island magic that people both love and are scared of. It all blends together to make the perfect September read, and was able to transport the feeling of the end of summer and the beginning of fall to May (when I read my ARC).
This book also managed to keep me on the edge of my seat, constantly thinking of theories and possibilities and answers to all the mysteries of the island. The large range of POVs was also an excellent addition to the mystery and intrigue of the island, as we were able to see little snippets of people beyond just August and Emery. It also added an extra layer of cohesion and connection between everyone on the island, and proved just how closely bound everything actually was on Saoirse.
I’d honestly recommend this book based just on the vibes, but there’s so much more to enjoy and get sucked up in in here as well. This should definitely be on your fall tbr!
