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“There’s nothing better than a little danger dashed with some romance.”
Stars (Out of 10): 8/10 Stars
Favorite Character: Thomas
Spoiler Free: This book completely surpassed all of my expectations! I’m usually not that into Victorian/historical novels, but this story was unlike anything I had ever read before. I loved the mystery combined with the setting, and the characters were just fantastic!
The plot itself was extremely gripping, as we hopped from crime to crime, suspect to suspect, etc. You could also tell a lot of thought and research went into the events written, as it both seemed to follow forensic developments at the time as well as tried to hold to most of the facts from the Jack the Ripper killings themselves. And even though I did figure out the killer way too quickly, I was not able to guess the reason why they were killing, which still left the ending exciting and shocking.
Additionally, I absolutely adored the characters. The dynamic between them all, especially between Audrey Rose and Thomas, was just super fun to read! The touch of romance and flirtations also worked to create excitement in what would have otherwise been dull moments in the story, and I think it worked well as an extra background layer! Definitely excited to see where the rest of this series takes the characters!
My only (small) issue with the book would have to be my difficulty getting into it at first. I started this book right after Graceling, which admittedly hooked me quite fast, so it took some focused reading to finally get me fully enraptured in the book. However, this happened around 30-40%, which is still much faster than some books hook me.
Careful! Spoilers beyond this point!
Spoilers: Not much to say here, so I’m just going to explain how I figured the murderer out, as well as what I wish the author would’ve changed in order to make it more of a surprise.
Basically, my main leading evidence was the tagline on the back of the book that claims Audrey Rose is “the girl who loved Jack the Ripper.” While this might be trying to lead readers into thinking it’s her love interest, and thus suspect Thomas heavily, that was just too easy. So I got into thinking about different sorts of love, specifically familial. It seems she loves her brother the most, so I started taking a closer look at their interactions, specifically his part in them.
I ended up figuring it out for sure before Audrey and Thomas went to go talk to the guy who worked on a boat, only to find him killed. Audrey got the information on his location from her brother, and he seemed like the most likely suspect at that point. (And then from there, little things here and there continued to build up my surety.)
Honestly though, I wouldn’t have guessed it if it weren’t for the tagline. It ruled out so many options so easily, that it really only could have been Thomas, her father, or her brother. While the tagline did intrigue me and was part of what made me pick up the book, it also completely gave away the mystery of the book to me.
Stars (Out of 10): 8/10 Stars
Favorite Character: Thomas
Spoiler Free: This book completely surpassed all of my expectations! I’m usually not that into Victorian/historical novels, but this story was unlike anything I had ever read before. I loved the mystery combined with the setting, and the characters were just fantastic!
The plot itself was extremely gripping, as we hopped from crime to crime, suspect to suspect, etc. You could also tell a lot of thought and research went into the events written, as it both seemed to follow forensic developments at the time as well as tried to hold to most of the facts from the Jack the Ripper killings themselves. And even though I did figure out the killer way too quickly, I was not able to guess the reason why they were killing, which still left the ending exciting and shocking.
Additionally, I absolutely adored the characters. The dynamic between them all, especially between Audrey Rose and Thomas, was just super fun to read! The touch of romance and flirtations also worked to create excitement in what would have otherwise been dull moments in the story, and I think it worked well as an extra background layer! Definitely excited to see where the rest of this series takes the characters!
My only (small) issue with the book would have to be my difficulty getting into it at first. I started this book right after Graceling, which admittedly hooked me quite fast, so it took some focused reading to finally get me fully enraptured in the book. However, this happened around 30-40%, which is still much faster than some books hook me.
Careful! Spoilers beyond this point!
Spoilers: Not much to say here, so I’m just going to explain how I figured the murderer out, as well as what I wish the author would’ve changed in order to make it more of a surprise.
Basically, my main leading evidence was the tagline on the back of the book that claims Audrey Rose is “the girl who loved Jack the Ripper.” While this might be trying to lead readers into thinking it’s her love interest, and thus suspect Thomas heavily, that was just too easy. So I got into thinking about different sorts of love, specifically familial. It seems she loves her brother the most, so I started taking a closer look at their interactions, specifically his part in them.
I ended up figuring it out for sure before Audrey and Thomas went to go talk to the guy who worked on a boat, only to find him killed. Audrey got the information on his location from her brother, and he seemed like the most likely suspect at that point. (And then from there, little things here and there continued to build up my surety.)
Honestly though, I wouldn’t have guessed it if it weren’t for the tagline. It ruled out so many options so easily, that it really only could have been Thomas, her father, or her brother. While the tagline did intrigue me and was part of what made me pick up the book, it also completely gave away the mystery of the book to me.
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.
Stars (Out of 10): 8/10 Stars
Favorite Character: Tony
Spoiler Free: Looking back, I’m not 100% what made me request this book from NetGalley, since it’s not the type of story I usually enjoy, but I’m really glad I did.
I was originally quite put off by our narrator, Piper, because her ideologies are so much different from mine. At certain points in the beginning of the story, it was actually quite hard to read her opinions on certain people and things. But as Piper started questioning herself and beliefs, and warming up to the idea of diversity, I started warming up to her!
While I can’t say I liked every part of the plot, and certain parts of the ending really got on my nerves, it overall was a really nice story. One of the first things I noticed when reading was how natural/realistic the writing felt, and how it seemed to fit Piper perfectly. It probably is what helped me warm up to Piper as fast as I did!
In the end, I highly recommend this story. It’s not a book that’s supposed to push forward religious teachings, but rather provides another viewpoint, and seems to promote a general idea of questioning what we’re taught about other people, and taking the time to learn and understand people who are different from us.
Careful! Spoilers beyond this point!
Spoilers: My main thoughts here will be on the ending, both the good and the bad parts.
First, the good! I’m super happy this wasn’t some miracle ending. While yes they pulled off the show, they were the ones who still had to find another venue since the school decision was not overturned. Additionally, one fancy speech on Piper’s end did not change her family’s minds, as they are still set in the same beliefs, although maybe less rigidly. I also really liked that Piper didn’t give up the religious part of herself, since that seems to be a very important part of her, and is instead exploring other, more accepting, avenues!
What I didn’t like is how the romance was pulled off at the end. While the way Dylan “lost” his girlfriend at the end kinda worked, the fact he was such an ass to her and then suddenly it was okay was just terrible. Actually, how the entire Tony x Piper rumor went down was just horrible. All of her friends ditched her because of it, even though they knew what sort of person she was, and that she would never do that. Even when confronted, with Piper explaining the situation (and not outing Tony, since she’s actually a decent person), they still chose to believe the rumors started by someone who openly hates Piper. I was totally okay with the best friend and Dylan up until this point, and I don’t agree with how that part was resolved at the end.
But all in all, this was a really surprising read in that I loved it way more than I expected to!
Stars (Out of 10): 8/10 Stars
Favorite Character: Tony
Spoiler Free: Looking back, I’m not 100% what made me request this book from NetGalley, since it’s not the type of story I usually enjoy, but I’m really glad I did.
I was originally quite put off by our narrator, Piper, because her ideologies are so much different from mine. At certain points in the beginning of the story, it was actually quite hard to read her opinions on certain people and things. But as Piper started questioning herself and beliefs, and warming up to the idea of diversity, I started warming up to her!
While I can’t say I liked every part of the plot, and certain parts of the ending really got on my nerves, it overall was a really nice story. One of the first things I noticed when reading was how natural/realistic the writing felt, and how it seemed to fit Piper perfectly. It probably is what helped me warm up to Piper as fast as I did!
In the end, I highly recommend this story. It’s not a book that’s supposed to push forward religious teachings, but rather provides another viewpoint, and seems to promote a general idea of questioning what we’re taught about other people, and taking the time to learn and understand people who are different from us.
Careful! Spoilers beyond this point!
Spoilers: My main thoughts here will be on the ending, both the good and the bad parts.
First, the good! I’m super happy this wasn’t some miracle ending. While yes they pulled off the show, they were the ones who still had to find another venue since the school decision was not overturned. Additionally, one fancy speech on Piper’s end did not change her family’s minds, as they are still set in the same beliefs, although maybe less rigidly. I also really liked that Piper didn’t give up the religious part of herself, since that seems to be a very important part of her, and is instead exploring other, more accepting, avenues!
What I didn’t like is how the romance was pulled off at the end. While the way Dylan “lost” his girlfriend at the end kinda worked, the fact he was such an ass to her and then suddenly it was okay was just terrible. Actually, how the entire Tony x Piper rumor went down was just horrible. All of her friends ditched her because of it, even though they knew what sort of person she was, and that she would never do that. Even when confronted, with Piper explaining the situation (and not outing Tony, since she’s actually a decent person), they still chose to believe the rumors started by someone who openly hates Piper. I was totally okay with the best friend and Dylan up until this point, and I don’t agree with how that part was resolved at the end.
But all in all, this was a really surprising read in that I loved it way more than I expected to!
“No one is a prisoner. Even you have the power to make your own choices.”
Stars (Out of 10): 8/10 Stars
Favorite Character: Remy
Spoiler Free: This book was a rollercoaster ride. A slow start, a slow build up to the first big drop, the first big twist. Then suddenly you’re falling, and you’re not quite sure when you’ll stop. The drop is bigger than you expected, curving and twisting at moments, but then you start to get used to it. You start to expect each curve, each spin, and it starts to feel drawn out. You start to see the end of the ride, and wonder, “Is this it? Was the fun in the middle?” But you are wrong, and suddenly everything is thrown upside down and your heart is in your throat once again. Before you have the chance to process all this, the ride jerks to a stop, and forcing you off, leaving you to wait for the next ride once again.
That, in a long metaphor, is my experience with this book. I did really like it, and I really want to read what happens next, but there were some issues. It was mainly a pacing (slow, quick, slow, quick drop of info then end) issue, and some holes in the plot, but overall I do highly recommend this!
Additionally, the world is super interesting. While it could’ve been better explained at points, I really enjoyed learning about a world so obsessed with beauty, and all the different ways they go about getting that. Also, in order to make us want and truly see that beauty, we were given lushious descriptions of dresses, eyes, hair, and all the rest. We fell into this world wanting that beauty as well, wanting to see what creation Camellia made next, even with all the problems that came with it.
Careful! Spoilers beyond this point!
Spoilers: My main issue had to be with the pacing. To begin with, we had kind of a slow start as Camellia wasn’t original the favorite, and build-up originally had to start and describe a new location. Then, as we were starting to get wrapped up in the mysteries there, we had to switch to a new location with even more mysteries, all while keeping in mind the ones already revealed. Additionally, the plot lulled after the queen asked Camellia to wake up Charlotte, as a lot of the book was dedicated to her “making her decision” when it was already kind of obvious what she would do. It felt like the author was trying to think up more reasons for why Camellia couldn’t try yet, but they weren’t always so convincing. This also led to an extreme build up of mysteries that needed to be resolved, and all of this was done in the last chapter or two.
Lastly, some of the plot choices were not my favorite. It was kind of silly how no one realized that the Camellia was poisoned by the same thing as Charlotte, even as the nurses directly said that they couldn’t find anything in her blood. Additionally, Camellia completely forgot about Bree the chapter after she was put in a starvation box, which was kind of upsetting. Lastly, we never heard anything more about Sophia being poisoned. While this could be something that comes back later, it kinda just felt completely forgot about. But, this is a debut! So these small mistakes did not take too much away from the book in the end, even though that is what I am dwelling on now.
Stars (Out of 10): 8/10 Stars
Favorite Character: Remy
Spoiler Free: This book was a rollercoaster ride. A slow start, a slow build up to the first big drop, the first big twist. Then suddenly you’re falling, and you’re not quite sure when you’ll stop. The drop is bigger than you expected, curving and twisting at moments, but then you start to get used to it. You start to expect each curve, each spin, and it starts to feel drawn out. You start to see the end of the ride, and wonder, “Is this it? Was the fun in the middle?” But you are wrong, and suddenly everything is thrown upside down and your heart is in your throat once again. Before you have the chance to process all this, the ride jerks to a stop, and forcing you off, leaving you to wait for the next ride once again.
That, in a long metaphor, is my experience with this book. I did really like it, and I really want to read what happens next, but there were some issues. It was mainly a pacing (slow, quick, slow, quick drop of info then end) issue, and some holes in the plot, but overall I do highly recommend this!
Additionally, the world is super interesting. While it could’ve been better explained at points, I really enjoyed learning about a world so obsessed with beauty, and all the different ways they go about getting that. Also, in order to make us want and truly see that beauty, we were given lushious descriptions of dresses, eyes, hair, and all the rest. We fell into this world wanting that beauty as well, wanting to see what creation Camellia made next, even with all the problems that came with it.
Careful! Spoilers beyond this point!
Spoilers: My main issue had to be with the pacing. To begin with, we had kind of a slow start as Camellia wasn’t original the favorite, and build-up originally had to start and describe a new location. Then, as we were starting to get wrapped up in the mysteries there, we had to switch to a new location with even more mysteries, all while keeping in mind the ones already revealed. Additionally, the plot lulled after the queen asked Camellia to wake up Charlotte, as a lot of the book was dedicated to her “making her decision” when it was already kind of obvious what she would do. It felt like the author was trying to think up more reasons for why Camellia couldn’t try yet, but they weren’t always so convincing. This also led to an extreme build up of mysteries that needed to be resolved, and all of this was done in the last chapter or two.
Lastly, some of the plot choices were not my favorite. It was kind of silly how no one realized that the Camellia was poisoned by the same thing as Charlotte, even as the nurses directly said that they couldn’t find anything in her blood. Additionally, Camellia completely forgot about Bree the chapter after she was put in a starvation box, which was kind of upsetting. Lastly, we never heard anything more about Sophia being poisoned. While this could be something that comes back later, it kinda just felt completely forgot about. But, this is a debut! So these small mistakes did not take too much away from the book in the end, even though that is what I am dwelling on now.
“Your now is not your forever.”
Stars (Out of 10): 8/10 Stars
Spoiler Free: After hearing about John Green’s new book, I had to admit I was wary. I haven’t had the best track record as of late with his books, and doubt I would rate them as highly if I were to reread them again. Therefore, I was fairly worried this book would be the same, and I’d have to come out to the public as a person who was not a fan of John Green’s YA novels.
As you can see from my rating, that was not the case. I absolutely loved this book, and was blown away by the narration style in this one. It felt like a whole new type of John Green novel.
While I won’t say the plot is the strongest I’ve ever seen, it didn’t have to be either. The inner turmoil Aza faces throughout the book is strong enough to carry the entire novel, and the mysterious disappearance of a billionaire only adds to it. And while I cannot comment on the accuracy of the portrayal of Aza’s turmoil, and I can definitely comment on its presence. It seems much more real than mental illnesses are often portrayed, and is a constant in Aza’s life, not just something that shows up when the author has run out of things to say in the scene, or needs to make their narrator more “relatable to today’s teens.” It felt harshly and utterly real, not a small hurdle Aza needed to get over in order to be “normal.”
Overall, this novel was fantastically done and my only regret is not reading it all in one sitting. I read it bit by bit over the course of a week instead, as I was reading it with my mom, and I feel this may have caused the ending to seem almost chaotic when compared to the other portions, and without the build up being right there. If I were to read it again, I’d definitely do it all at once!
Careful! Spoilers beyond this point!
Spoilers:
Stars (Out of 10): 8/10 Stars
Spoiler Free: After hearing about John Green’s new book, I had to admit I was wary. I haven’t had the best track record as of late with his books, and doubt I would rate them as highly if I were to reread them again. Therefore, I was fairly worried this book would be the same, and I’d have to come out to the public as a person who was not a fan of John Green’s YA novels.
As you can see from my rating, that was not the case. I absolutely loved this book, and was blown away by the narration style in this one. It felt like a whole new type of John Green novel.
While I won’t say the plot is the strongest I’ve ever seen, it didn’t have to be either. The inner turmoil Aza faces throughout the book is strong enough to carry the entire novel, and the mysterious disappearance of a billionaire only adds to it. And while I cannot comment on the accuracy of the portrayal of Aza’s turmoil, and I can definitely comment on its presence. It seems much more real than mental illnesses are often portrayed, and is a constant in Aza’s life, not just something that shows up when the author has run out of things to say in the scene, or needs to make their narrator more “relatable to today’s teens.” It felt harshly and utterly real, not a small hurdle Aza needed to get over in order to be “normal.”
Overall, this novel was fantastically done and my only regret is not reading it all in one sitting. I read it bit by bit over the course of a week instead, as I was reading it with my mom, and I feel this may have caused the ending to seem almost chaotic when compared to the other portions, and without the build up being right there. If I were to read it again, I’d definitely do it all at once!
Careful! Spoilers beyond this point!
Spoilers:
Spoiler
Mini sidenote, someone remind me not to expect happy endings from John Green novels. It had been a while and I forgot, and my heart hurt even more at the end.
“She'd decided long ago that life was a long journey. She would be strong and she would be weak, and both would be okay.”
Stars (Out of 10):
Favorite Character: Alice
Spoiler Free: I missed Taherah Mafi’s writing so much!! (Shatter Me was my favorite series for the longest time!)
With Restore Me coming out soon (still can’t believe my favorite series is getting extended, I can only hope it lives up to my expectations!), I decided to read Mafi’s middle grade series, as I’ve been interested in it for a while! While everything about it is quite different from her YA series, I still absolutely loved it! From the vibrant world to fleshed out characters, I found myself entranced by every part of this book!
First off, this book contains two worlds, Furthermore and Ferenwood. Both are developed amazingly well, especially seeing as Ferenwood isn’t even entirely the focus of the book. Both are based around very different systems of magic and rules, and the lore behind why this is is explained fantastically well! Additionally, in Furthermore, the twists and turns of the world itself matched perfectly with the plot, and kept most of the plot’s twists concealed quite well, since you can’t predict a world you barely understand!
We also had two amazing characters to lead us through this world, Alice (our narrator), and Oliver (the guide). It was actually really nice to have someone new to Furthermore to be the one describing it to us, as we felt as confused and lost as Alice did at points. The relationship between Alice and Oliver was also super interesting, as they were not connected in any way but a common goal at first. The growth of both their friendship and each character was interesting to see, and I actually grew to like them quite a bit.
Lastly, I liked almost everything about the plot itself. It twisted and turned, and never stopped, keeping me hooked from chapter to chapter until I forgot how long I had been reading. While I found most of the book to follow this almost steady yet exciting pace, the ending was a bit too rushed and quick for me. It carried the tone of a fairytale rounding off with a simple “happy ever after,” and I felt it left some things unexplored and some words left unsaid. Nevertheless, I’m overall still super in love with this book, and definitely recommend it if you want a break from standard books in both the middle grade and YA genre!
Stars (Out of 10):
Favorite Character: Alice
Spoiler Free: I missed Taherah Mafi’s writing so much!! (Shatter Me was my favorite series for the longest time!)
With Restore Me coming out soon (still can’t believe my favorite series is getting extended, I can only hope it lives up to my expectations!), I decided to read Mafi’s middle grade series, as I’ve been interested in it for a while! While everything about it is quite different from her YA series, I still absolutely loved it! From the vibrant world to fleshed out characters, I found myself entranced by every part of this book!
First off, this book contains two worlds, Furthermore and Ferenwood. Both are developed amazingly well, especially seeing as Ferenwood isn’t even entirely the focus of the book. Both are based around very different systems of magic and rules, and the lore behind why this is is explained fantastically well! Additionally, in Furthermore, the twists and turns of the world itself matched perfectly with the plot, and kept most of the plot’s twists concealed quite well, since you can’t predict a world you barely understand!
We also had two amazing characters to lead us through this world, Alice (our narrator), and Oliver (the guide). It was actually really nice to have someone new to Furthermore to be the one describing it to us, as we felt as confused and lost as Alice did at points. The relationship between Alice and Oliver was also super interesting, as they were not connected in any way but a common goal at first. The growth of both their friendship and each character was interesting to see, and I actually grew to like them quite a bit.
Lastly, I liked almost everything about the plot itself. It twisted and turned, and never stopped, keeping me hooked from chapter to chapter until I forgot how long I had been reading. While I found most of the book to follow this almost steady yet exciting pace, the ending was a bit too rushed and quick for me. It carried the tone of a fairytale rounding off with a simple “happy ever after,” and I felt it left some things unexplored and some words left unsaid. Nevertheless, I’m overall still super in love with this book, and definitely recommend it if you want a break from standard books in both the middle grade and YA genre!
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.
Stars (Out of 10): 3/10 Stars
Spoiler Free: I wanted to like this book, as the concept seemed super neat and reminded me of books such as The Program and Dark Eden, but the execution was just terrible.
I believe I saw somewhere that this is a re-release of a story originally written in 2012, so maybe that’s part of it, it just didn’t age well. And if I’m being honest, many parts of the story did feel pretty dated. (EDIT: I now know that this is incorrect, and rather some of the reviews at the beginning of my copy were misleading. Regardless, I still find the references and some of the tropes outdated. In writing in such a quickly changing area, it’s pretty important to either invent new references that cannot become outdated, or ensure any references used (such as the fact that everyone listened to Daft Punk in this book) are as relevant as possible. In my opinion, anytime popular culture is involved, you always run the risk of it being cringy, and unfortunately almost all of the pop culture use in this book was.)
But even if the story had been written now, with references that worked still in today’s time, the over-stereotyped characters matched with the juvenile, and at times, contradicting writing also would have made me rate this book the way I did.
Specifically in terms of characters, it was kind of ridiculous, and at times insulting, how certain types of characters were categorized. We have Varian, the gamer obsessed with WOW and changed his real-life name to his character one, who only dresses in black and wears a trench coat? We also have Raven, a punk looking girl who our narrator hates from the start because of how off-putting she is. And it continues on, with the stereotyped cheerleader and the lanky, quiet guy. Lastly, the most likable character is the dead best friend, as she is given the most characterization, even when compared to the narrator. (Also, there’s a lot of crying and emotions in this book that feel very fake and extreme.
In addition, we have a random romance thrown in that is very on and off and reminds me a lot of younger high school relationships. It honestly was all over the place, and without it, I probably would’ve rated the book higher.
Back to writing, it felt simple, and while this was good during the explanation of confusing, techy moments, it just contributed to the dated feeling of the entire novel. Additionally, I’m not sure if this book just hasn’t gone through any editing yet (have an ARC copy), but there was tons of errors that led to confusion during some scenes. But the main issue with the writing was how it contradicted itself sometimes, showing us one fact and then pulling an entirely different conclusion from it. (The most obvious example being a 3 day period shown, and then having that period being described as a week.)
Additionally, the ending left some things unresolved, and for a stand-alone book I find that very off putting. My favorite part about stand-alones is that they’re usually all wrapped up in a bow by the end of it, or at least don’t purposely introduce new “twists” in the last few chapters that never get resolved.
I do have to admit that the plot was semi intriguing though. The main reason I finished this off was because of the plot, and wanting to find out the secrets behind everything. If some of the other things above had been improved, I could see myself recommending this book based on plot alone. However, it is a package deal, and therefore I cannot recommend this book to people looking for a cool urban sci-fi.
Stars (Out of 10): 3/10 Stars
Spoiler Free: I wanted to like this book, as the concept seemed super neat and reminded me of books such as The Program and Dark Eden, but the execution was just terrible.
I believe I saw somewhere that this is a re-release of a story originally written in 2012, so maybe that’s part of it, it just didn’t age well. And if I’m being honest, many parts of the story did feel pretty dated. (EDIT: I now know that this is incorrect, and rather some of the reviews at the beginning of my copy were misleading. Regardless, I still find the references and some of the tropes outdated. In writing in such a quickly changing area, it’s pretty important to either invent new references that cannot become outdated, or ensure any references used (such as the fact that everyone listened to Daft Punk in this book) are as relevant as possible. In my opinion, anytime popular culture is involved, you always run the risk of it being cringy, and unfortunately almost all of the pop culture use in this book was.)
But even if the story had been written now, with references that worked still in today’s time, the over-stereotyped characters matched with the juvenile, and at times, contradicting writing also would have made me rate this book the way I did.
Specifically in terms of characters, it was kind of ridiculous, and at times insulting, how certain types of characters were categorized. We have Varian, the gamer obsessed with WOW and changed his real-life name to his character one, who only dresses in black and wears a trench coat? We also have Raven, a punk looking girl who our narrator hates from the start because of how off-putting she is. And it continues on, with the stereotyped cheerleader and the lanky, quiet guy. Lastly, the most likable character is the dead best friend, as she is given the most characterization, even when compared to the narrator. (Also, there’s a lot of crying and emotions in this book that feel very fake and extreme.
In addition, we have a random romance thrown in that is very on and off and reminds me a lot of younger high school relationships. It honestly was all over the place, and without it, I probably would’ve rated the book higher.
Back to writing, it felt simple, and while this was good during the explanation of confusing, techy moments, it just contributed to the dated feeling of the entire novel. Additionally, I’m not sure if this book just hasn’t gone through any editing yet (have an ARC copy), but there was tons of errors that led to confusion during some scenes. But the main issue with the writing was how it contradicted itself sometimes, showing us one fact and then pulling an entirely different conclusion from it. (The most obvious example being a 3 day period shown, and then having that period being described as a week.)
Additionally, the ending left some things unresolved, and for a stand-alone book I find that very off putting. My favorite part about stand-alones is that they’re usually all wrapped up in a bow by the end of it, or at least don’t purposely introduce new “twists” in the last few chapters that never get resolved.
I do have to admit that the plot was semi intriguing though. The main reason I finished this off was because of the plot, and wanting to find out the secrets behind everything. If some of the other things above had been improved, I could see myself recommending this book based on plot alone. However, it is a package deal, and therefore I cannot recommend this book to people looking for a cool urban sci-fi.
"What happened here on Kerenza is not the story of one corporation against another. It is the story of what happened to those caught in the middle. To people, to families."
Stars (Out of 10): More stars than lives lost over the course of this series
Favorite Character: This is impossible!!!
Now, in order to protect both my friends from spoilers (since I just know they will seek them out! + make sure I don’t sway anyone away and hurt release-day sales, I will be foregoing my usual format of including both a spoiler free and spoiler part of the review, and will be avoiding any whisper of a spoiler in this review! So if you’ve come to find out how the book ends before it’s out, you’re looking in the wrong place! (This is directed heavily at you, Jaye.)
First let me tell you all a little tale on how I got this copy, a finished copy, three weeks before street date. I live in the Netherlands now, and so I didn’t know any online place to order Obsidio from that would ensure I would get the book on day one (I needed it that bad), and so I started reaching out to all my local (and not so local), bookstores. In the end, I got mainly vague answers, that led me to believe online was still the best choice, even if I got it a day or two after release. However, when I was sitting in class the day after, I got a message from one of those bookstores that they had just gotten a copy in, and were able to hold it for me. At first, I thought this meant I’d be able to pick it up on release date, but still asked how soon I could pick it up. When the response was they would arrange things immediately, and I could come on my own schedule, I knew I had gotten super lucky. I rushed to the store as soon as my classes for the day ended, but part of me was still worried they had gotten Obsidio mixed up with another book and I would be disappointed upon arrival. But long story short, I ended the day with Obsidio in my arms and a smile on my face! But now onto the part you guys are really here for, did Obsidio bring a proper end to the Illuminae Files?
In short, YES!
In long…
I loved every page of this book. It feels as if more variation finds its way in the file types each book, and this time was no different! We’ve got all our beloved chat rooms, video narrators, and briefing notes, along with art and comics as well! Additionally, for those worried, the book is focused not just on the new narrators introduced, but our old friends as well. Unlike in Gemina where Kady and Ezra appear near the end, there are two major narratives played out through this book, carrying the voices of Hypatia/Heimdall as well as the rebels on Kerenza. Additionally, they balance these narratives in such an amazing way where one does not overshadow the other, and both play major roles in how the overall story of Illuminae finishes out.
Additionally, the entire book felt realistic. Even when united by a common goal, people still fight and question the teenage MC’s, and the way this is done and built up is extremely convincing as well. (No spoiler, it says this in the synopsis haha.) There are also still all the twists and turns in plot one would expect from an Illuminae book, and I found myself surprised by all of them.
Now it’s going to be hard to talk about the ending without spoiling it, but it was written exceptionally well. It gave nothing away until it actually happened, while still making you feel “in the know.” It also just was a fantastic send-off to the characters and the series, and not necessarily in terms of plot. It gave you the time to say goodbye, to look proudly on these guys and what they had survived and accomplished up until the end, and put your heart on the line along with the character’s lives going into the final battle.
All in all, I probably cried multiple during this book, and was close to it even more, and I loved every single page to it. It gripped right until the very end, throwing in twists and reveals in a paced way throughout the book, ensuring nothing was boring and nothing overwhelming. It went by way too fast, but don’t all good books?
Godspeed, my Illuminae friends. It was a wild ride, and I’m so happy Amie and Jay gave this story life so I could join along.
Stars (Out of 10): More stars than lives lost over the course of this series
Favorite Character: This is impossible!!!
Now, in order to protect both my friends from spoilers (since I just know they will seek them out! + make sure I don’t sway anyone away and hurt release-day sales, I will be foregoing my usual format of including both a spoiler free and spoiler part of the review, and will be avoiding any whisper of a spoiler in this review! So if you’ve come to find out how the book ends before it’s out, you’re looking in the wrong place! (This is directed heavily at you, Jaye.)
First let me tell you all a little tale on how I got this copy, a finished copy, three weeks before street date. I live in the Netherlands now, and so I didn’t know any online place to order Obsidio from that would ensure I would get the book on day one (I needed it that bad), and so I started reaching out to all my local (and not so local), bookstores. In the end, I got mainly vague answers, that led me to believe online was still the best choice, even if I got it a day or two after release. However, when I was sitting in class the day after, I got a message from one of those bookstores that they had just gotten a copy in, and were able to hold it for me. At first, I thought this meant I’d be able to pick it up on release date, but still asked how soon I could pick it up. When the response was they would arrange things immediately, and I could come on my own schedule, I knew I had gotten super lucky. I rushed to the store as soon as my classes for the day ended, but part of me was still worried they had gotten Obsidio mixed up with another book and I would be disappointed upon arrival. But long story short, I ended the day with Obsidio in my arms and a smile on my face! But now onto the part you guys are really here for, did Obsidio bring a proper end to the Illuminae Files?
In short, YES!
In long…
I loved every page of this book. It feels as if more variation finds its way in the file types each book, and this time was no different! We’ve got all our beloved chat rooms, video narrators, and briefing notes, along with art and comics as well! Additionally, for those worried, the book is focused not just on the new narrators introduced, but our old friends as well. Unlike in Gemina where Kady and Ezra appear near the end, there are two major narratives played out through this book, carrying the voices of Hypatia/Heimdall as well as the rebels on Kerenza. Additionally, they balance these narratives in such an amazing way where one does not overshadow the other, and both play major roles in how the overall story of Illuminae finishes out.
Additionally, the entire book felt realistic. Even when united by a common goal, people still fight and question the teenage MC’s, and the way this is done and built up is extremely convincing as well. (No spoiler, it says this in the synopsis haha.) There are also still all the twists and turns in plot one would expect from an Illuminae book, and I found myself surprised by all of them.
Now it’s going to be hard to talk about the ending without spoiling it, but it was written exceptionally well. It gave nothing away until it actually happened, while still making you feel “in the know.” It also just was a fantastic send-off to the characters and the series, and not necessarily in terms of plot. It gave you the time to say goodbye, to look proudly on these guys and what they had survived and accomplished up until the end, and put your heart on the line along with the character’s lives going into the final battle.
All in all, I probably cried multiple during this book, and was close to it even more, and I loved every single page to it. It gripped right until the very end, throwing in twists and reveals in a paced way throughout the book, ensuring nothing was boring and nothing overwhelming. It went by way too fast, but don’t all good books?
Godspeed, my Illuminae friends. It was a wild ride, and I’m so happy Amie and Jay gave this story life so I could join along.
