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“We all fight our own private wars.”
Stars (Out of 10): 3.5/10
Overall Thoughts: I really wanted to like this book, I really did. The amazing reviews, all the awards, and the synopsis drew me in, and therefore my expectations may have been too high. Maybe this just wasn't the right time for me to read this book. But in all honesty, I had to struggle to finish this book. So many times I wanted to just quit, but I pushed through, thinking "it has to get better, right? There has to be a reason why this book was rated 4.33 stars." But I never found that reason. I never even found a true plot. I didn't enjoy the characters, I didn't enjoy the plot, I didn't enjoy the writing style, I just didn't enjoy the book at all. I feel almost like I read a different book than everyone else. While the ending did save this book from being 1 star, it didn't explain why the rest of the book didn't draw my attention. And therefore, my rating can only be 3.5 out of 10 stars, and even that I feel is optimistic.
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Good: Honestly, only the ending was good. I felt like I finally was able to learn who the characters were, and what the plot actually was. Besides this, I hate to say that I didn't like anything of this book.
The Bad: Can I just say everything? I didn't like the writing style, as it seemed that it tried to be confusing and "philosophical", but didn't have substance to make that true. The quotes were pretty out of context, but when put in the book, their power was almost wasted when they were used to describe useless and meaningless things. I also disliked the book for reasons I will discuss in the specific categories.
The Characters: Only the parents were somewhat okay in my book. The relationship between Dante and Aristotle made no sense to me. Aristotle hated and loved Dante, and he just seemed so confused. I get characters being confused about their feelings, but this was seriously way beyond that. And when the love was revealed, it didn't make any sense. I knew that they would be together, but the way it happened was honestly kind of ridiculous. Ari's parents suddenly decided to tell Ari he loved Dante, and this made Ari also decide he loved Dante. Every moment where this love could've been built beforehand was shut down by Ari (and thus the author), making it seem like Ari wanted nothing to do with Dante instead. And I'm sorry, but there's no way anyone can get that confused with their feelings, even if they couldn't handle them.
The Plot: There wasn't one. Only in the ending did I finally learn what the "plot" was, and that was as it was being solved. It made me feel as if I was reading a book without a purpose.
The Stereotypical Tropes: The writing was an entire stereotype to me, as it was wistful and trying to be philosophical, and tried to make the words more meaningful than it was. Besides that, there was a slight love triangle towards the end I guess, and an extremely pessimistic character who hated his life and believed he wasn't good at anything.
The Favorite Character: I liked Sam, Dante's father. I also liked the dog, Legs.
Buy it, Borrow it, Or Bin it: Bin it, although I feel so awful for saying this about a book loved by so many.
Stars (Out of 10): 3.5/10
Overall Thoughts: I really wanted to like this book, I really did. The amazing reviews, all the awards, and the synopsis drew me in, and therefore my expectations may have been too high. Maybe this just wasn't the right time for me to read this book. But in all honesty, I had to struggle to finish this book. So many times I wanted to just quit, but I pushed through, thinking "it has to get better, right? There has to be a reason why this book was rated 4.33 stars." But I never found that reason. I never even found a true plot. I didn't enjoy the characters, I didn't enjoy the plot, I didn't enjoy the writing style, I just didn't enjoy the book at all. I feel almost like I read a different book than everyone else. While the ending did save this book from being 1 star, it didn't explain why the rest of the book didn't draw my attention. And therefore, my rating can only be 3.5 out of 10 stars, and even that I feel is optimistic.
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Good: Honestly, only the ending was good. I felt like I finally was able to learn who the characters were, and what the plot actually was. Besides this, I hate to say that I didn't like anything of this book.
The Bad: Can I just say everything? I didn't like the writing style, as it seemed that it tried to be confusing and "philosophical", but didn't have substance to make that true. The quotes were pretty out of context, but when put in the book, their power was almost wasted when they were used to describe useless and meaningless things. I also disliked the book for reasons I will discuss in the specific categories.
The Characters: Only the parents were somewhat okay in my book. The relationship between Dante and Aristotle made no sense to me. Aristotle hated and loved Dante, and he just seemed so confused. I get characters being confused about their feelings, but this was seriously way beyond that. And when the love was revealed, it didn't make any sense. I knew that they would be together, but the way it happened was honestly kind of ridiculous. Ari's parents suddenly decided to tell Ari he loved Dante, and this made Ari also decide he loved Dante. Every moment where this love could've been built beforehand was shut down by Ari (and thus the author), making it seem like Ari wanted nothing to do with Dante instead. And I'm sorry, but there's no way anyone can get that confused with their feelings, even if they couldn't handle them.
The Plot: There wasn't one. Only in the ending did I finally learn what the "plot" was, and that was as it was being solved. It made me feel as if I was reading a book without a purpose.
The Stereotypical Tropes: The writing was an entire stereotype to me, as it was wistful and trying to be philosophical, and tried to make the words more meaningful than it was. Besides that, there was a slight love triangle towards the end I guess, and an extremely pessimistic character who hated his life and believed he wasn't good at anything.
The Favorite Character: I liked Sam, Dante's father. I also liked the dog, Legs.
Buy it, Borrow it, Or Bin it: Bin it, although I feel so awful for saying this about a book loved by so many.
“Make of time what you want.”
Stars (Out of 10): 8.5/10
Overall Thoughts: I loved this book. I loved the idea of this book, of separated ages spread across the world, of time being much less of a rigid thing. I loved the way the story flowed, even though it traveled between ages. The characters were so different, but clicked together perfectly. And all the twists caught me off-guard, which are definitely my favorite kinds of twists. Overall, a great read, and I definitely recommend it!
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Good: I loved so many things about this book. The story idea already intrigued me so much, and the way the author wrote it was amazing. The world building was definitely my favorite part, as how the Ages coexisted with each other was such a tough thing to do properly, but the way it was done was perfect. I loved reading the history and culture of each Age, and how that then affected the other Ages and their peoples.
The Bad: The book did drag at some points, especially near the beginning as it built up. This is definitely understandable, but made it hard to continue at some points.
The Characters: These were amazing. Almost no one was perfect, and yet everyone was interesting. We did not have the villain be inherently bad, nor the heroes be overly good. It was a perfect balance that added to a perfect conflict. The relationship between Theo and Sophia was definitely a rocky one, but one that made perfect sense. All the conflicts between characters seemed to be realistic as well, which added to how “absorbed” I was in the book.
The Plot: While I felt it was a bit slow at first, it completely picked up near beginning of Part 3, and kept me completely enraptured for the rest of the book. And all those twists! From the small twist Theo having a Mark of Iron, to Blanca being a Lacrima and the maps being about Sophia, I was shocked at every turn, and loved it! Definitely the best presentation of this story idea I could’ve thought of!
The World Building: This was absolutely phenomenal. The plot of the story made this task much harder, as not only did one world/Age have to be built, but millions of others. And on top of that, they all had to fit together! I thought the author did this phenomenally, spending enough time describing the culture and history of each Age without overdoing it, and I always felt like the world made sense.
The Favorite Character: I loved Calixta!
Buy it, Borrow it, or Bin it: Buy it! (The hardcover is beautiful!!!)
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
Stars (Out of 10): 8.5/10
Overall Thoughts: I loved this book. I loved the idea of this book, of separated ages spread across the world, of time being much less of a rigid thing. I loved the way the story flowed, even though it traveled between ages. The characters were so different, but clicked together perfectly. And all the twists caught me off-guard, which are definitely my favorite kinds of twists. Overall, a great read, and I definitely recommend it!
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Good: I loved so many things about this book. The story idea already intrigued me so much, and the way the author wrote it was amazing. The world building was definitely my favorite part, as how the Ages coexisted with each other was such a tough thing to do properly, but the way it was done was perfect. I loved reading the history and culture of each Age, and how that then affected the other Ages and their peoples.
The Bad: The book did drag at some points, especially near the beginning as it built up. This is definitely understandable, but made it hard to continue at some points.
The Characters: These were amazing. Almost no one was perfect, and yet everyone was interesting. We did not have the villain be inherently bad, nor the heroes be overly good. It was a perfect balance that added to a perfect conflict. The relationship between Theo and Sophia was definitely a rocky one, but one that made perfect sense. All the conflicts between characters seemed to be realistic as well, which added to how “absorbed” I was in the book.
The Plot: While I felt it was a bit slow at first, it completely picked up near beginning of Part 3, and kept me completely enraptured for the rest of the book. And all those twists! From the small twist Theo having a Mark of Iron, to Blanca being a Lacrima and the maps being about Sophia, I was shocked at every turn, and loved it! Definitely the best presentation of this story idea I could’ve thought of!
The World Building: This was absolutely phenomenal. The plot of the story made this task much harder, as not only did one world/Age have to be built, but millions of others. And on top of that, they all had to fit together! I thought the author did this phenomenally, spending enough time describing the culture and history of each Age without overdoing it, and I always felt like the world made sense.
The Favorite Character: I loved Calixta!
Buy it, Borrow it, or Bin it: Buy it! (The hardcover is beautiful!!!)
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
“Sometimes there’s beauty in the tough words—it’s all in how you read them.”
Stars (Out of 10): 7/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: I finally got around to reading this book, after hearing major hype about it over the past year or so, and I have to say it pretty much lived up to it. I was extremely hooked on to the beginning of the book, and the build up of the characters, their situations, and the plot. While I liked the ending less, and maybe it would have been better to read the entire book in one sitting, I still did enjoy it.
The Good: Interesting characters, interesting plot, had me hooked then heartbroken. Also, a main issue that I often find with books dealing with mental illness or other traits that lead to discrimination (such as characters in the LGBT community) is that those traits are often what makes up that character entirely, rather than just affecting an existing personality. I am super happy to report that this book did not feel like that at all, as Finch was an actual person, not just a walking mental illness. In addition, I also felt this book did not try to “beautify” or “promote” having a mental illness, another thing books and social media sometimes does, and manages to realistically show the tough parts of it, while still making Finch be a completely normal person. In this sense, I felt the book did a fantastic job.
The Bad: Didn’t care much for the ending, some parts felt unrealistic, or that connection to the characters dropped off for a bit, before it getting better again for the last few chapters.
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Characters: I really liked how the characters all clicked together. No, Violet and Finch lives weren’t puzzles that just found their missing piece, as there were moments you could see their different pasts and upbringings coming into play, but they still ended up having a great, at least in the beginning, relationship. In addition, I also like how realistic all the relationships felt, and how they seemed to actually have meaningful impacts on the people Violet and Finch became. Lastly, I am glad this wasn’t another YA book where the parents seemingly don’t care or disappear as the teenagers go on magical adventures and bond. There were consequences that matched the situation (and their parents’ parenting style) whenever Finch or Violet lied, or disappeared, or did things they shouldn’t have.
The Plot: I am happy with everything but the ending. No, I am not just mad that Finch died. I am just frustrated with how the author wrote that particular part of the story. During the beginning of the end, we saw no more input from Finch, when the readers were used to near constant chapters and input from him. Yes, it was necessary to make the actual ending more impactful, but it felt kinda rough, and it felt weird suddenly missing a character, even though they weren’t yet dead at that point (although I guess this is how Violet went through it.) In addition, I didn’t like how Violet ended up hanging out with Ryan again somehow, and while she didn’t want anything more again, they kissed. And this was all while Finch was still missing, not yet dead. I get her moving on, it was just weird she went back to a guy that she said she would never want again, and it seemed to show a regression in the character Violet had become/was becoming, and almost deleting all the progress towards “being herself” she had made.
The Favorite Character: Violet
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
Stars (Out of 10): 7/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: I finally got around to reading this book, after hearing major hype about it over the past year or so, and I have to say it pretty much lived up to it. I was extremely hooked on to the beginning of the book, and the build up of the characters, their situations, and the plot. While I liked the ending less, and maybe it would have been better to read the entire book in one sitting, I still did enjoy it.
The Good: Interesting characters, interesting plot, had me hooked then heartbroken. Also, a main issue that I often find with books dealing with mental illness or other traits that lead to discrimination (such as characters in the LGBT community) is that those traits are often what makes up that character entirely, rather than just affecting an existing personality. I am super happy to report that this book did not feel like that at all, as Finch was an actual person, not just a walking mental illness. In addition, I also felt this book did not try to “beautify” or “promote” having a mental illness, another thing books and social media sometimes does, and manages to realistically show the tough parts of it, while still making Finch be a completely normal person. In this sense, I felt the book did a fantastic job.
The Bad: Didn’t care much for the ending, some parts felt unrealistic, or that connection to the characters dropped off for a bit, before it getting better again for the last few chapters.
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Characters: I really liked how the characters all clicked together. No, Violet and Finch lives weren’t puzzles that just found their missing piece, as there were moments you could see their different pasts and upbringings coming into play, but they still ended up having a great, at least in the beginning, relationship. In addition, I also like how realistic all the relationships felt, and how they seemed to actually have meaningful impacts on the people Violet and Finch became. Lastly, I am glad this wasn’t another YA book where the parents seemingly don’t care or disappear as the teenagers go on magical adventures and bond. There were consequences that matched the situation (and their parents’ parenting style) whenever Finch or Violet lied, or disappeared, or did things they shouldn’t have.
The Plot: I am happy with everything but the ending. No, I am not just mad that Finch died. I am just frustrated with how the author wrote that particular part of the story. During the beginning of the end, we saw no more input from Finch, when the readers were used to near constant chapters and input from him. Yes, it was necessary to make the actual ending more impactful, but it felt kinda rough, and it felt weird suddenly missing a character, even though they weren’t yet dead at that point (although I guess this is how Violet went through it.) In addition, I didn’t like how Violet ended up hanging out with Ryan again somehow, and while she didn’t want anything more again, they kissed. And this was all while Finch was still missing, not yet dead. I get her moving on, it was just weird she went back to a guy that she said she would never want again, and it seemed to show a regression in the character Violet had become/was becoming, and almost deleting all the progress towards “being herself” she had made.
The Favorite Character: Violet
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
“The world was a merciless place. Hard and cruel. Except when you found someone to trust and love. Life, however fleeting, possessed meaning then.”
Stars (Out of 10): 5/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: While I liked portions of the book, and it definitely has potential for a great ending, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this first book. Parts felt kind of dull, and characters were kinda “eh” at points, but I did really like the entire concept of the novel, and am hoping for a good conclusion!
The Good: Interesting world, seems like there’s a lot more left to learn about it (and how the kingdoms work in the eclipse, etc.), and I really like the two main characters as well!
The Bad: Sometimes the characters weren’t consistent, and Luna changed for the worse for a portion of the book. In addition, some actions/events were just plain annoying and unplanned, and I felt like a bit more explanation of the world would be cool, since it has an apocalyptic feel to it, yet there are somehow still cities and kingdoms standing.
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Characters: I did like Fowler and Luna, and how they worked together and changed each other, but sometimes they’re actions didn’t fit. Luna, while tough and independent at first, became more of weak, helpless thing while traveling with Fowler it seems, and the main part of her personality explored was her “charity” apparently. And while I did like the interesting fact that she was blind, and how the story used that at points, it felt unrealistic at other points.
The Plot: For the most part I really liked this, since not only did it bring Luna out into the world, and gave her and Fowler a quest, it did so without her running away from Sivo and Perla, and being incredibly cruel to them. Some parts were boring, as they were mainly just walking into a forest and randomly running into action, but the romance was cute, and the use of that action to help explain the world made it more interesting as well. However, the ending felt quite a bit rushed, and I’m still frustrated that Luna was naive enough to believe that giving herself up would do anything to fix things. (But the twist of Fowler being the king’s son was great, A++)
The World Building: There was definitely an interesting concept and world laid before us, and I hope book 2 explores that a lot more. We got the vital information, but I am still a tad in the dark on how the cities and towns function, and the dangers of the night, and why the eclipse happens (it happened before, yet nothing is known about the eclipse except it’s ‘there’?)
The Favorite Character: Fowler
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
Stars (Out of 10): 5/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: While I liked portions of the book, and it definitely has potential for a great ending, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this first book. Parts felt kind of dull, and characters were kinda “eh” at points, but I did really like the entire concept of the novel, and am hoping for a good conclusion!
The Good: Interesting world, seems like there’s a lot more left to learn about it (and how the kingdoms work in the eclipse, etc.), and I really like the two main characters as well!
The Bad: Sometimes the characters weren’t consistent, and Luna changed for the worse for a portion of the book. In addition, some actions/events were just plain annoying and unplanned, and I felt like a bit more explanation of the world would be cool, since it has an apocalyptic feel to it, yet there are somehow still cities and kingdoms standing.
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Characters: I did like Fowler and Luna, and how they worked together and changed each other, but sometimes they’re actions didn’t fit. Luna, while tough and independent at first, became more of weak, helpless thing while traveling with Fowler it seems, and the main part of her personality explored was her “charity” apparently. And while I did like the interesting fact that she was blind, and how the story used that at points, it felt unrealistic at other points.
The Plot: For the most part I really liked this, since not only did it bring Luna out into the world, and gave her and Fowler a quest, it did so without her running away from Sivo and Perla, and being incredibly cruel to them. Some parts were boring, as they were mainly just walking into a forest and randomly running into action, but the romance was cute, and the use of that action to help explain the world made it more interesting as well. However, the ending felt quite a bit rushed, and I’m still frustrated that Luna was naive enough to believe that giving herself up would do anything to fix things. (But the twist of Fowler being the king’s son was great, A++)
The World Building: There was definitely an interesting concept and world laid before us, and I hope book 2 explores that a lot more. We got the vital information, but I am still a tad in the dark on how the cities and towns function, and the dangers of the night, and why the eclipse happens (it happened before, yet nothing is known about the eclipse except it’s ‘there’?)
The Favorite Character: Fowler
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
“We love to hate them and they hate to be loved, if only because being hated frees them from having to be good.”
Stars (Out of 10): 5/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: As a whole, this anthology was meh. There were stories that I loved, but also a lot that I saw myself skimming through, or not enjoying as much as others. Some formats just also didn’t fit, and some stories were fairly confusing as well. Overall, it was an intriguing anthology, and I really enjoyed seeing different author’s takes on both the challenges given to them, and the idea of the anthology in general.
The Good: About half of the stories were really unique, with prompts that were very interesting to read and explore! I got to see quick story ideas that I probably would not have been able to see otherwise, and by authors I knew and love from other books! For some stories, it was just an amazing combination!
The Bad: Not all the stories were good. First, not all of them seemed focused on a villain either. Most were, but some were from just a “good guy’s” POV, or from character’s POVs that didn’t really feel evil at all. Also, the formats of some stories were also kinda confusing, and some stories overall just felt rough. Also, in terms of the booktuber portion of the book, I found myself plain skipping at the end. It often felt unnecessary, and covered up my own thoughts of the story, as the review portions that some booktubers chose to do were obviously very in love and supportive of the story, even when I wasn’t fully on board.
Favorite Story: Death Knell
Honorable Mentions: You, You, It’s All About You; The Sea Witch; The Blood of Imuriv; Beautiful Venom
Meh: The Bless of Little Wants; Shirley & Jim; Marigold; Sera; Julian Breaks Every Rule
Not A Fan: Jack; Gwen And Art and Lance; Indigo and Shade;
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
Stars (Out of 10): 5/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: As a whole, this anthology was meh. There were stories that I loved, but also a lot that I saw myself skimming through, or not enjoying as much as others. Some formats just also didn’t fit, and some stories were fairly confusing as well. Overall, it was an intriguing anthology, and I really enjoyed seeing different author’s takes on both the challenges given to them, and the idea of the anthology in general.
The Good: About half of the stories were really unique, with prompts that were very interesting to read and explore! I got to see quick story ideas that I probably would not have been able to see otherwise, and by authors I knew and love from other books! For some stories, it was just an amazing combination!
The Bad: Not all the stories were good. First, not all of them seemed focused on a villain either. Most were, but some were from just a “good guy’s” POV, or from character’s POVs that didn’t really feel evil at all. Also, the formats of some stories were also kinda confusing, and some stories overall just felt rough. Also, in terms of the booktuber portion of the book, I found myself plain skipping at the end. It often felt unnecessary, and covered up my own thoughts of the story, as the review portions that some booktubers chose to do were obviously very in love and supportive of the story, even when I wasn’t fully on board.
Favorite Story: Death Knell
Honorable Mentions: You, You, It’s All About You; The Sea Witch; The Blood of Imuriv; Beautiful Venom
Meh: The Bless of Little Wants; Shirley & Jim; Marigold; Sera; Julian Breaks Every Rule
Not A Fan: Jack; Gwen And Art and Lance; Indigo and Shade;
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
This was a quick and cute read in my opinion. In the few pages we had them for, the characters felt developed enough for the story, and you actually started feeling for their situation. The plot was also quite interesting, if a bit too short. Overall, I did quite enjoy reading this, and I loved the art as well!
My main issue with it was definitely the shortness of it, and the plot. It felt so quick, with not always enough time to build up the importance of something before that something was already solved/over. Additionally, it seemed like the last 30 pages was like an extended epilogue almost, and while I did enjoy seeing where the character's lives went after, it also felt like this already short book was being divided into two stories.
My main issue with it was definitely the shortness of it, and the plot. It felt so quick, with not always enough time to build up the importance of something before that something was already solved/over. Additionally, it seemed like the last 30 pages was like an extended epilogue almost, and while I did enjoy seeing where the character's lives went after, it also felt like this already short book was being divided into two stories.
“Grief is one big, gaping hole, isn’t it? It’s everywhere and all consuming. Some days you think you can’t go on because the only thing waiting for you is more despair. Some days you don’t want to go on because it’s easier to give up than to get hurt again.”
Stars (Out of 10): 6/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: I’m not quite sure how to put into words how I feel for this book. It’s not really a book you pick up for enjoyment, but one you pick up to feel something, and to have your perception of the world messed with. It was written beautifully, with words made to tie you into the stories, to feel what these kids felt as their world collapsed around them. It definitely had it’s flaws, which I’ll put down in the other sections, but it was still a great read and I am glad I read it.
The Good: My favorite thing about this story was probably the depth the author was able to give to the characters, especially to the side characters, in 54 minutes of their lives. Additionally, I felt the author’s writing style meshed fantastically with the plot and ideas of this book, and were able to bring both the physical aspect that the book needed, as well as the heavier emotional aspect.
The Bad: Most of my issues with the book came from the characters themselves. Some moments felt weird, or like they didn’t belong, and in others the logic and thinking of the characters made no sense, and resulted in terrible consequences that definitely did not need to happen. Additionally, the main relationship in this book felt wrong, and that never ended up being dealt with. Also, I had a harder time getting attached to the main characters than the side characters, which may have been the fault of the quick flip-flopping POVs, and not truly being able to feel for a character before being moved on to the next POV.
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Characters: I’ll begin with Tyler. Personally, it was hard to see why Claire/Autumn were so believing of him being good, seeing as his recent changes had been quite violent/worrisome. Of course, I understand not wanting to believe a brother/ex is capable of the doing this, but even before they knew/before it happened I saw Claire and Autumn thinking good of him, even though Claire recently saw him assaulting Sylv and Autumn experienced a terrible situation at home, with him often belittling her relationship and even caring less about her as a person. So I feel there could’ve been more improvement in that area, even though Tyler was a fairly interesting “villain” to have. Additionally, my other main problem with the story was Sylv and Autumn’s relationship. It felt like such an unhealthy relationship the entire time, with neither of them being able to be true to each other, and their tough family situations making it impossible for them to be honest with each other about the hardships they were facing, and being honest about the future they wanted. It also often felt one-sided, until perhaps the end where Autumn almost lost Sylv, with Sylv wanting Autumn to be happy and wanting a future with her, and Autumn only wanting to dance/leave, not usually thinking about/mentioning Sylv in that future. I do hope the ending was meant to be taken that they would begin to work these things out, but I had a hard time being fully happy with the relationship the pair had before and during the events of the book. However, I did like many of the characters in the book, specifically the side characters. I felt seeing the little snapshots into other student’s lives made it easier to understand how all encompassing the grief and horror was, with everyone who had ever associated with the school being affected. We saw someone who stayed behind today lose his chance to ever admit his feelings to his friend he lost in the shooting. We saw multiple characters lose siblings, and we saw a graduated student lose her father, a well-loved teacher. We also got to see the aftermath of it all, the rush of people trying to find each other, and the need to move on yet keep this story in their hearts, and to learn from it.
The Plot: The physical plot was extremely straightforward, but it did change things up with all the flashbacks. For the most part, those were pretty well done, with clear distinction between current events and a flashback by using italics. Without those flashbacks, it probably would’ve been even tougher feeling for the characters on a personal level, so I felt they were quite integral to the story. However, I have some issues with the decisions the characters made at points. Why did Tomas randomly think that during a shooting was the best time to start thinking about his crush/kinda try and ask her out? (It didn’t even add anything to the plot, was more just kinda thrown in there). Why did Tomas/Sylv/Fareed head towards the roof instead of heading out with the rest of the students so they would be safe?
The Favorite Character: Matt 3
This review, and others, can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
Stars (Out of 10): 6/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: I’m not quite sure how to put into words how I feel for this book. It’s not really a book you pick up for enjoyment, but one you pick up to feel something, and to have your perception of the world messed with. It was written beautifully, with words made to tie you into the stories, to feel what these kids felt as their world collapsed around them. It definitely had it’s flaws, which I’ll put down in the other sections, but it was still a great read and I am glad I read it.
The Good: My favorite thing about this story was probably the depth the author was able to give to the characters, especially to the side characters, in 54 minutes of their lives. Additionally, I felt the author’s writing style meshed fantastically with the plot and ideas of this book, and were able to bring both the physical aspect that the book needed, as well as the heavier emotional aspect.
The Bad: Most of my issues with the book came from the characters themselves. Some moments felt weird, or like they didn’t belong, and in others the logic and thinking of the characters made no sense, and resulted in terrible consequences that definitely did not need to happen. Additionally, the main relationship in this book felt wrong, and that never ended up being dealt with. Also, I had a harder time getting attached to the main characters than the side characters, which may have been the fault of the quick flip-flopping POVs, and not truly being able to feel for a character before being moved on to the next POV.
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Characters: I’ll begin with Tyler. Personally, it was hard to see why Claire/Autumn were so believing of him being good, seeing as his recent changes had been quite violent/worrisome. Of course, I understand not wanting to believe a brother/ex is capable of the doing this, but even before they knew/before it happened I saw Claire and Autumn thinking good of him, even though Claire recently saw him assaulting Sylv and Autumn experienced a terrible situation at home, with him often belittling her relationship and even caring less about her as a person. So I feel there could’ve been more improvement in that area, even though Tyler was a fairly interesting “villain” to have. Additionally, my other main problem with the story was Sylv and Autumn’s relationship. It felt like such an unhealthy relationship the entire time, with neither of them being able to be true to each other, and their tough family situations making it impossible for them to be honest with each other about the hardships they were facing, and being honest about the future they wanted. It also often felt one-sided, until perhaps the end where Autumn almost lost Sylv, with Sylv wanting Autumn to be happy and wanting a future with her, and Autumn only wanting to dance/leave, not usually thinking about/mentioning Sylv in that future. I do hope the ending was meant to be taken that they would begin to work these things out, but I had a hard time being fully happy with the relationship the pair had before and during the events of the book. However, I did like many of the characters in the book, specifically the side characters. I felt seeing the little snapshots into other student’s lives made it easier to understand how all encompassing the grief and horror was, with everyone who had ever associated with the school being affected. We saw someone who stayed behind today lose his chance to ever admit his feelings to his friend he lost in the shooting. We saw multiple characters lose siblings, and we saw a graduated student lose her father, a well-loved teacher. We also got to see the aftermath of it all, the rush of people trying to find each other, and the need to move on yet keep this story in their hearts, and to learn from it.
The Plot: The physical plot was extremely straightforward, but it did change things up with all the flashbacks. For the most part, those were pretty well done, with clear distinction between current events and a flashback by using italics. Without those flashbacks, it probably would’ve been even tougher feeling for the characters on a personal level, so I felt they were quite integral to the story. However, I have some issues with the decisions the characters made at points. Why did Tomas randomly think that during a shooting was the best time to start thinking about his crush/kinda try and ask her out? (It didn’t even add anything to the plot, was more just kinda thrown in there). Why did Tomas/Sylv/Fareed head towards the roof instead of heading out with the rest of the students so they would be safe?
The Favorite Character: Matt 3
This review, and others, can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
“It was so much easier to be loved than to have to do any of the desperate work of loving.”
Stars (Out of 10): 5/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: This book was, okay? I really liked parts of it, but then other parts were confusing and felt completely unnecessary (basically the whole extra side plot going in, if I’ll be honest.) It did a great job of dealing with tough issues in the main plotline with Adam, but then this magical realism tie-in plot about a girl who died kinda took away from it. I honestly found myself skimming those parts more as I continued further into the book, as it just read so odd and was pretty confusing. If we had just had the plot with Adam, and his horrible yet freeing day, I probably would’ve ended up rating this book higher.
The Good: It was dark and it was gritty and it was everything it needed to be to properly tell the story of Adam, of his heart broken by friends, lovers, and family. It dealt with everything realistically, and while yes it was a bit weird for everything to suddenly go wrong on the same day, I understand that was needed for this novel to be the way it is. Adam’s story was a tough one to read, but it’s one that I feel we all need to hear, the cruelty and hardships he faces just for being different than what his family expects to be, just for being himself and having his own beliefs. On top of all that, it also dealt with issues that all of us might feel, losing friends to the future and struggling with love and the loss of it.
The Bad: My main issue with the whole novel is definitely the whole magical realism subplot about a dead girl and some magic queen. It didn’t feel like it was given enough space to actually make enough sense, but then I also feel it took up too much space in the novel, took me too much out of Adam’s story at points. If this idea had been given it’s own space and time to exist, it could have flourished, and I could have enjoyed it. But it felt like these two stories combatted for my attention more than they flowed together to create a larger meaning, and that is why I had to rate the book the way I did.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
Stars (Out of 10): 5/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: This book was, okay? I really liked parts of it, but then other parts were confusing and felt completely unnecessary (basically the whole extra side plot going in, if I’ll be honest.) It did a great job of dealing with tough issues in the main plotline with Adam, but then this magical realism tie-in plot about a girl who died kinda took away from it. I honestly found myself skimming those parts more as I continued further into the book, as it just read so odd and was pretty confusing. If we had just had the plot with Adam, and his horrible yet freeing day, I probably would’ve ended up rating this book higher.
The Good: It was dark and it was gritty and it was everything it needed to be to properly tell the story of Adam, of his heart broken by friends, lovers, and family. It dealt with everything realistically, and while yes it was a bit weird for everything to suddenly go wrong on the same day, I understand that was needed for this novel to be the way it is. Adam’s story was a tough one to read, but it’s one that I feel we all need to hear, the cruelty and hardships he faces just for being different than what his family expects to be, just for being himself and having his own beliefs. On top of all that, it also dealt with issues that all of us might feel, losing friends to the future and struggling with love and the loss of it.
The Bad: My main issue with the whole novel is definitely the whole magical realism subplot about a dead girl and some magic queen. It didn’t feel like it was given enough space to actually make enough sense, but then I also feel it took up too much space in the novel, took me too much out of Adam’s story at points. If this idea had been given it’s own space and time to exist, it could have flourished, and I could have enjoyed it. But it felt like these two stories combatted for my attention more than they flowed together to create a larger meaning, and that is why I had to rate the book the way I did.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
First off, I would like to thank the publisher and author for providing me this ARC to review. Please note that the version I read was an advanced copy, and certain events/language may be changed in the published edition.
“That night I think we were trying to fight against death, against boredom and banality, against everything that made us cry and stare at our futures full in the face with dread.”
Stars (Out of 10): 3.5/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: I really wanted to love this book, because I absolutely fell in love with the amazing covers. However, it seems it didn’t really do it for me. I felt like a floated along through the entire book, reading and enjoying the story, but not feeling connected, never feeling worried or scared when bad things happened, and never feeling happy or overjoyed during the happy moments. Additionally, even though the plot idea was pretty intriguing, I felt the main ‘twist’ was way too obvious way too early, so by the end I kinda already knew what to expect, and the secrets that everyone was keeping.
The Good: I really liked the dark atmosphere the book kinda seemed to have, and what the ending could mean for book two (even if parts of the ending felt vague). I also did enjoy reading this, just less so than a lot others for reasons below.
The Bad: I did not find myself really caring about any of the side characters, and the MC even less so. I also am not the biggest fan of books with little plot in the beginning, and it felt like this one floated as things were beginning to build up. And while later that become important later, while reading it just wasn’t that enjoyable. Additionally, the most important part of the plot was pretty predictable.
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Characters: If I’m being 100% honest, I don’t think anything appealed to me about any of the characters. In the beginning, it seemed like the Graces we were supposed to be intrigued about were just so full of themselves, and in the end, they weren’t as special as they were made out to be. Additionally, I did not care for River at all throughout the entire book, and it made the entire book weaker in my opinion. I never cried when she was dumped by the Graces or was never pitying her when she felt like she would never belong. And with a book that felt as emotion based as this one, it left me hanging that I wasn’t able to connect with the characters and be influenced as they were.
The Plot: While this is what kept me reading, and wanting to see if I was right or not, it was way too predictable to actually keep me on my toes. There were way too many obvious hints too early on, and by the time we heard a bit more about the father from River’s mother, the truth about River clicked so easily. However, if the author takes this series the way I think she might be, and gives Summer/one of the Graces POV in book 2, book 1 could very well be an amazing villain origin story.
My one other main issue will have to be the vague, flip floppy feeling ending. I almost upped the rating of the book after reading most of the ending, because I loved how the book seemed to suddenly make more sense. At one point, it almost seemed to click that, of course!, this was a villain origin story! And I loved that. But then in the last 5% or so, suddenly River was fixing everything? But then it seemed like she was plotting with Marcus? And it felt like River’s true thoughts and meaning seemed far too vague and hidden for it to be as hard hitting and solid as it needed to be.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/
“That night I think we were trying to fight against death, against boredom and banality, against everything that made us cry and stare at our futures full in the face with dread.”
Stars (Out of 10): 3.5/10 Stars
Overall Thoughts: I really wanted to love this book, because I absolutely fell in love with the amazing covers. However, it seems it didn’t really do it for me. I felt like a floated along through the entire book, reading and enjoying the story, but not feeling connected, never feeling worried or scared when bad things happened, and never feeling happy or overjoyed during the happy moments. Additionally, even though the plot idea was pretty intriguing, I felt the main ‘twist’ was way too obvious way too early, so by the end I kinda already knew what to expect, and the secrets that everyone was keeping.
The Good: I really liked the dark atmosphere the book kinda seemed to have, and what the ending could mean for book two (even if parts of the ending felt vague). I also did enjoy reading this, just less so than a lot others for reasons below.
The Bad: I did not find myself really caring about any of the side characters, and the MC even less so. I also am not the biggest fan of books with little plot in the beginning, and it felt like this one floated as things were beginning to build up. And while later that become important later, while reading it just wasn’t that enjoyable. Additionally, the most important part of the plot was pretty predictable.
SPOILERS BEGIN HERE
The Characters: If I’m being 100% honest, I don’t think anything appealed to me about any of the characters. In the beginning, it seemed like the Graces we were supposed to be intrigued about were just so full of themselves, and in the end, they weren’t as special as they were made out to be. Additionally, I did not care for River at all throughout the entire book, and it made the entire book weaker in my opinion. I never cried when she was dumped by the Graces or was never pitying her when she felt like she would never belong. And with a book that felt as emotion based as this one, it left me hanging that I wasn’t able to connect with the characters and be influenced as they were.
The Plot: While this is what kept me reading, and wanting to see if I was right or not, it was way too predictable to actually keep me on my toes. There were way too many obvious hints too early on, and by the time we heard a bit more about the father from River’s mother, the truth about River clicked so easily. However, if the author takes this series the way I think she might be, and gives Summer/one of the Graces POV in book 2, book 1 could very well be an amazing villain origin story.
My one other main issue will have to be the vague, flip floppy feeling ending. I almost upped the rating of the book after reading most of the ending, because I loved how the book seemed to suddenly make more sense. At one point, it almost seemed to click that, of course!, this was a villain origin story! And I loved that. But then in the last 5% or so, suddenly River was fixing everything? But then it seemed like she was plotting with Marcus? And it felt like River’s true thoughts and meaning seemed far too vague and hidden for it to be as hard hitting and solid as it needed to be.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/