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2.51k reviews by:
popthebutterfly
Rating: 3/5
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (sex, violence, brutal deaths)
Pages: 287
Author: Ruby Fitzgerald
Amazon
I was asked to promote the sequel to this book: Descendants of War: Magic’s Demise by the author. All opinions are my own.
Harmonies of War follows a Queendom's twisted path of epic war and treacherous betrayal, fueled by magic. At a time when those who possess magic, the Descendants, are wildly feared and corrupted by an evil King on an unstoppable quest for power, the only thing that can save them is a true-hearted woman foretold in an Ancient Prophecy. When a young, red haired Descendant is discovered barely alive, with more magical abilities than has ever been recorded, is it possible she is The One to fulfill the Prophecy? – Amazon.com
I’m not a huge reader of political books, but when mixed with a bit of magic I feel like exceptions can be made and Harmonies of War was the book that fit this specific category. This book was an action-packed adventure that made you keep turning the pages. The plot was really interesting and the pacing wasn’t too slow or too fast. The characters were also very interesting, as the author used a lot of older characters and not just teen characters.
However, the characters weren’t very well developed. The story starts so suddenly and ends so suddenly that it’s really hard to get your bearings straight. So when the characters are introduced we’re not given much of a backstory, which could make for a frustrating read for some readers. The book was also not descriptive and told the readers the actions rather than show it. While this wasn’t that big of a deal to me, it might be for others. The book is also told in multiple POV, so watch out for that if you’re not into that sort of narrative.
Verdict: I feel that the book was a solid start to a good series and I’m interested to see if we’ll have the same characters in the next book or if we’ll have the “descendants” of our heroes in this next installment. If you’re a fan of action-adventure books with magical elements in it, give this series a try!
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (sex, violence, brutal deaths)
Pages: 287
Author: Ruby Fitzgerald
Amazon
I was asked to promote the sequel to this book: Descendants of War: Magic’s Demise by the author. All opinions are my own.
Harmonies of War follows a Queendom's twisted path of epic war and treacherous betrayal, fueled by magic. At a time when those who possess magic, the Descendants, are wildly feared and corrupted by an evil King on an unstoppable quest for power, the only thing that can save them is a true-hearted woman foretold in an Ancient Prophecy. When a young, red haired Descendant is discovered barely alive, with more magical abilities than has ever been recorded, is it possible she is The One to fulfill the Prophecy? – Amazon.com
I’m not a huge reader of political books, but when mixed with a bit of magic I feel like exceptions can be made and Harmonies of War was the book that fit this specific category. This book was an action-packed adventure that made you keep turning the pages. The plot was really interesting and the pacing wasn’t too slow or too fast. The characters were also very interesting, as the author used a lot of older characters and not just teen characters.
However, the characters weren’t very well developed. The story starts so suddenly and ends so suddenly that it’s really hard to get your bearings straight. So when the characters are introduced we’re not given much of a backstory, which could make for a frustrating read for some readers. The book was also not descriptive and told the readers the actions rather than show it. While this wasn’t that big of a deal to me, it might be for others. The book is also told in multiple POV, so watch out for that if you’re not into that sort of narrative.
Verdict: I feel that the book was a solid start to a good series and I’m interested to see if we’ll have the same characters in the next book or if we’ll have the “descendants” of our heroes in this next installment. If you’re a fan of action-adventure books with magical elements in it, give this series a try!
Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, blood, some language)
Pages: 368
Author: Melissa Albert
Amazon
I received a free copy of this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Flatiron Books!
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: Her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”
Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong. – Amazon.com
I love fairy tales and I’m sure almost everyone in the world has heard the phrase “once upon a time” uttered once in their lifetime. But what if there were tales that were dark, like darker than the Grimms Brothers fairytales? Enter Tales From The Hinterland! A book about those very dark, violent, and haunting tales. And enter Alice, a girl who is trying to figure out who she is, why her and her mother keep having to leave their homes, and who kidnapped her mother. She, along with superfan Ellery, travel to find her grandmother, the author of Tales From The Hinterland, to discover the answer to those questions. So, let’s start off by saying that this book was actually really great! I thought the characters were all very well developed, the plot was intriguing and very well developed, and the world building was fairly well done as well. I thought that I could see these fantastical places pretty clearly in my mind.
However, I did feel that the pacing was a bit off in some spots. The book definitely has its high and lows in terms of action, but for the most part it’s mostly action. I managed to read the book in a day. That’s how fast of a read it was for me. On the subject of action, I did think that the action bits (like fighting and high stakes scenes) were a bit muddied. They weren’t that clear to me as a reader and I felt that if those scenes were expanded a bit more then they could have made a bit more sense. The language is also flowery in places and while it didn’t bug me I know it does some people which is why I mention it.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a dark and action-y read this February I’d definitely choose this one! It was one of my favorite reads so far this January and I think that this will be a favorite read for a lot of other people too this year. Definitely one of the most anticipated reads that is worth the hype in my opinion.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, blood, some language)
Pages: 368
Author: Melissa Albert
Amazon
I received a free copy of this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Flatiron Books!
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: Her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”
Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong. – Amazon.com
I love fairy tales and I’m sure almost everyone in the world has heard the phrase “once upon a time” uttered once in their lifetime. But what if there were tales that were dark, like darker than the Grimms Brothers fairytales? Enter Tales From The Hinterland! A book about those very dark, violent, and haunting tales. And enter Alice, a girl who is trying to figure out who she is, why her and her mother keep having to leave their homes, and who kidnapped her mother. She, along with superfan Ellery, travel to find her grandmother, the author of Tales From The Hinterland, to discover the answer to those questions. So, let’s start off by saying that this book was actually really great! I thought the characters were all very well developed, the plot was intriguing and very well developed, and the world building was fairly well done as well. I thought that I could see these fantastical places pretty clearly in my mind.
However, I did feel that the pacing was a bit off in some spots. The book definitely has its high and lows in terms of action, but for the most part it’s mostly action. I managed to read the book in a day. That’s how fast of a read it was for me. On the subject of action, I did think that the action bits (like fighting and high stakes scenes) were a bit muddied. They weren’t that clear to me as a reader and I felt that if those scenes were expanded a bit more then they could have made a bit more sense. The language is also flowery in places and while it didn’t bug me I know it does some people which is why I mention it.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a dark and action-y read this February I’d definitely choose this one! It was one of my favorite reads so far this January and I think that this will be a favorite read for a lot of other people too this year. Definitely one of the most anticipated reads that is worth the hype in my opinion.
Rating: 4/5
Genre: YA dystopian/sci-fi
Recommended Age: 16+ (some sexual references)
Pages: 352 Pages
Author: Mary Weber
Amazon
So I could NOT get enough of Warcross and Ready Player One, so fortunately I found this book to help tide me over until the next installment of Warcross and the Ready Player One movie comes out. While this book does not specifically focus on its game Fantasy Fighting (which is bloody and also reminds me of another dystopian book called The Hunger Games), it does have that gritty gamer vibe that I loved from Warcross and Ready Player One. I also loved how developed all of the characters were and how much world building there was in this book.
However, I did have problems getting into this book. I felt that the pacing was a little slow in this book and I felt that some of the parts in this book were a little overcomplicated. I’m also confused as to the game portion of this book. Like Hunger Games, Warcross, and Ready Player One had an explanation to these games while in this book it’s just like “well we’re bored… let’s have kids kill each other!” And why are children sellable in this future and why is the world split into corporations? That wasn’t very well explained in this book either.
Verdict: I loved the feel of this book, but I was left with more questions than answers. The characters, the diversity of the characters, and the world building definitely pull the majority of this book though.
Genre: YA dystopian/sci-fi
Recommended Age: 16+ (some sexual references)
Pages: 352 Pages
Author: Mary Weber
Amazon
So I could NOT get enough of Warcross and Ready Player One, so fortunately I found this book to help tide me over until the next installment of Warcross and the Ready Player One movie comes out. While this book does not specifically focus on its game Fantasy Fighting (which is bloody and also reminds me of another dystopian book called The Hunger Games), it does have that gritty gamer vibe that I loved from Warcross and Ready Player One. I also loved how developed all of the characters were and how much world building there was in this book.
However, I did have problems getting into this book. I felt that the pacing was a little slow in this book and I felt that some of the parts in this book were a little overcomplicated. I’m also confused as to the game portion of this book. Like Hunger Games, Warcross, and Ready Player One had an explanation to these games while in this book it’s just like “well we’re bored… let’s have kids kill each other!” And why are children sellable in this future and why is the world split into corporations? That wasn’t very well explained in this book either.
Verdict: I loved the feel of this book, but I was left with more questions than answers. The characters, the diversity of the characters, and the world building definitely pull the majority of this book though.
Rating: 4/5
Genre: YA Dystopian/Science Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (some sexual references, blood, violence)
Pages: 352
Author: Mary Weber
Amazon
I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. I was also asked to help promote this book. Thanks NetGalley and Mary Weber! Also, this was an arc of the book and I’ve heard some things in this book may change before the final version is released.
Quickly after I finished Sofi Snow I started this book, which is the sequel. Once again I fell in love with all of the world building and the characters in this book. I also felt that the story definitely picked up from that last book and the pacing and plot worked fairly well together throughout this book.
The only thing I felt that was off about this book was that there were some glaring plot holes and there were some things that I felt were really confusing in how they were explained. Because this is an arc I have hope that the holes and confusion will be cleared up by the release date of March 6th, but even with these faults the book was fantastic and exciting. It had a beautiful ending and I felt satisfied with the series overall.
Verdict: Satisfying and exciting read, just some small holes and issues. Hopefully they’ll be cleared up by the release.
Genre: YA Dystopian/Science Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (some sexual references, blood, violence)
Pages: 352
Author: Mary Weber
Amazon
I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. I was also asked to help promote this book. Thanks NetGalley and Mary Weber! Also, this was an arc of the book and I’ve heard some things in this book may change before the final version is released.
Quickly after I finished Sofi Snow I started this book, which is the sequel. Once again I fell in love with all of the world building and the characters in this book. I also felt that the story definitely picked up from that last book and the pacing and plot worked fairly well together throughout this book.
The only thing I felt that was off about this book was that there were some glaring plot holes and there were some things that I felt were really confusing in how they were explained. Because this is an arc I have hope that the holes and confusion will be cleared up by the release date of March 6th, but even with these faults the book was fantastic and exciting. It had a beautiful ending and I felt satisfied with the series overall.
Verdict: Satisfying and exciting read, just some small holes and issues. Hopefully they’ll be cleared up by the release.
Rating: 5/5
Genre: YA Contemporary/Romance
Recommended Age: 15+ (diversity!, language, underage drinking, awesomeness!)
Pages: 303
Author: Becky Albertalli
Amazon
I’m not one for romance! Just kidding, I enjoy it infrequently. I’ve actually been meaning to read this book but circumstances beyond my control (totally within my control) have prevented me from doing so until now and OMG WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING WITH MY LIFE I NEEDED THIS BOOK SO SO MUCH! AND IT WAS ADORABLE AND CUTE AND AWESOME AND ADORABLE AND DID I MENTION ADORABLE?!?! AHJKLFHKJSDHFKASDHFKASHDKFJLHASKLDFHAKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The characters, the diversity, the plot, the world building, etc. were PERFECTION! Becky did amazing work in this book and it should be praised and appreciated by all!
Since I always point out a bad flaw, I’ll say that I felt the ending was teased out way too much and it should have ended when the Carnival happened. And I also think that, knowing Becky is about to release a spin-off book called Leah on the Offbeat, that this book has some loose ends that will lead perfectly into that spin-off book. Leah’s character always felt a little off, but now that she’s getting her own book I have all the confidence in the world that the book will explain everything that went down on her end.
Verdict: I need a series with all of these characters in their own spin-off series. I’d read it. I’d ship it. I’d bathe in it. If you’ve not read this book, drop everything and do it now!
Genre: YA Contemporary/Romance
Recommended Age: 15+ (diversity!, language, underage drinking, awesomeness!)
Pages: 303
Author: Becky Albertalli
Amazon
I’m not one for romance! Just kidding, I enjoy it infrequently. I’ve actually been meaning to read this book but circumstances beyond my control (totally within my control) have prevented me from doing so until now and OMG WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING WITH MY LIFE I NEEDED THIS BOOK SO SO MUCH! AND IT WAS ADORABLE AND CUTE AND AWESOME AND ADORABLE AND DID I MENTION ADORABLE?!?! AHJKLFHKJSDHFKASDHFKASHDKFJLHASKLDFHAKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The characters, the diversity, the plot, the world building, etc. were PERFECTION! Becky did amazing work in this book and it should be praised and appreciated by all!
Since I always point out a bad flaw, I’ll say that I felt the ending was teased out way too much and it should have ended when the Carnival happened. And I also think that, knowing Becky is about to release a spin-off book called Leah on the Offbeat, that this book has some loose ends that will lead perfectly into that spin-off book. Leah’s character always felt a little off, but now that she’s getting her own book I have all the confidence in the world that the book will explain everything that went down on her end.
Verdict: I need a series with all of these characters in their own spin-off series. I’d read it. I’d ship it. I’d bathe in it. If you’ve not read this book, drop everything and do it now!
Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: YA Fantasy/Romance
Recommended Age: 15+ (magick and slight romance/some slight mature scenes)
Pages: 534
Author: Brindi Quinn
Amazon
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for promotion and review. This did not effect my review at all. Thanks Brindi!
I love authors that can write any genre well and Brindi is the only author I really know about who can do this. This book, which is a epic fantasy/romance book is amazingly well written. It’s very poetic and it flows beautifully. The plot, the world building, and the pacing are all done amazingly well. I love the world that Brindi created and she’s always been able to make it come alive in some aspect of my imagination.
The only thing I felt was slightly off was that I felt some of the characters weren’t that well developed and that their romance was a little weird, but I’m really picky in how I like my romances written so I think this was just my pickiness again.
Verdict: Beautifully well written without being too Lani Taylor esque and the world in it is unique and deserves to be read.
Genre: YA Fantasy/Romance
Recommended Age: 15+ (magick and slight romance/some slight mature scenes)
Pages: 534
Author: Brindi Quinn
Amazon
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for promotion and review. This did not effect my review at all. Thanks Brindi!
I love authors that can write any genre well and Brindi is the only author I really know about who can do this. This book, which is a epic fantasy/romance book is amazingly well written. It’s very poetic and it flows beautifully. The plot, the world building, and the pacing are all done amazingly well. I love the world that Brindi created and she’s always been able to make it come alive in some aspect of my imagination.
The only thing I felt was slightly off was that I felt some of the characters weren’t that well developed and that their romance was a little weird, but I’m really picky in how I like my romances written so I think this was just my pickiness again.
Verdict: Beautifully well written without being too Lani Taylor esque and the world in it is unique and deserves to be read.
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Upper Middle Grade Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some violence and magic)
Pages: 260
Author: Christa Avampato
Amazon
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Christa Avampato! All of my opinions are my own.
Beautifully written and a clean coming of age story? That’s what this book is! It’s an amazingly quick read and it is so so beautiful! The plot is well done, the pacing isn’t too fast or too slow, and the world building is amazing. The book also has history in the book (real history, not fake history like some books) and it’s totally engrossing.
The only things that I had issue with are some of the characters that I felt weren’t that well developed and the beginning of the book is pretty slow.
Verdict: Once you get past the beginning the story flies off the page. It’s a wonderful coming of age story for those young and old alike.
Genre: Upper Middle Grade Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some violence and magic)
Pages: 260
Author: Christa Avampato
Amazon
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Christa Avampato! All of my opinions are my own.
Beautifully written and a clean coming of age story? That’s what this book is! It’s an amazingly quick read and it is so so beautiful! The plot is well done, the pacing isn’t too fast or too slow, and the world building is amazing. The book also has history in the book (real history, not fake history like some books) and it’s totally engrossing.
The only things that I had issue with are some of the characters that I felt weren’t that well developed and the beginning of the book is pretty slow.
Verdict: Once you get past the beginning the story flies off the page. It’s a wonderful coming of age story for those young and old alike.
Rating: 3/5
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: ---
Pages: 336
Author: Betsy Schow
Amazon
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review thanks to NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
So this will be a short review because I had to DNF this book. It’s not because this book was horrible or anything like that (quite the opposite actually), but I did not realize when I requested this book that it was the third in a series and I’ve not read the first two. I want to read the first two in this series before I read this one (and I’ll purchase it and everything because this was my fault so I should have to pay for it). So, I’m DNF-ing in order to avoid spoilers for myself.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: ---
Pages: 336
Author: Betsy Schow
Amazon
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review thanks to NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
So this will be a short review because I had to DNF this book. It’s not because this book was horrible or anything like that (quite the opposite actually), but I did not realize when I requested this book that it was the third in a series and I’ve not read the first two. I want to read the first two in this series before I read this one (and I’ll purchase it and everything because this was my fault so I should have to pay for it). So, I’m DNF-ing in order to avoid spoilers for myself.
Rating: 4/5
Genre: YA Fantasy/Mystery
Recommended Age: 16+ (violent deaths, sexual content, but lots of diversity)
Pages: 377
Author: Amanda Foody
Amazon
I was given an arc of this book on NetGalley then obtained my own copy. Thanks NetGalley! All opinions are my own.
In 2017 there were three major books about carnivals that came out. Why carnivals? Well, because they always have had an aura of mystery and intrigue about them. And from reading this book I think I have found out why they seem so mysterious. Mostly fantasy, but part mystery, this book centers on an eyeless girl named Sorina and her ability to create illusions. And then someone starts killing her illusions and she must work to find out why this is happening and most importantly how. I thought the characters were all very well developed and the plot was very intriguing. The book was adequately well paced as well, which made me not want to put down this enthralling read.
However, I did feel that there was some room for more world-building. Two things that are central to the plot are the politics of the Upper Mountain and Vallium and Angi’s backstories and development. While the book did excellent at surprising the reader with the “whodunit” portion of the book, it made me wonder if there were intentional clues left behind or if this revelation came out of nowhere like it appears to me right now.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a mystery fantasy stand-alone novel this is your book! It’s weird and fun and amazingly well written and it’ll keep you guessing until the very last page.
Genre: YA Fantasy/Mystery
Recommended Age: 16+ (violent deaths, sexual content, but lots of diversity)
Pages: 377
Author: Amanda Foody
Amazon
I was given an arc of this book on NetGalley then obtained my own copy. Thanks NetGalley! All opinions are my own.
In 2017 there were three major books about carnivals that came out. Why carnivals? Well, because they always have had an aura of mystery and intrigue about them. And from reading this book I think I have found out why they seem so mysterious. Mostly fantasy, but part mystery, this book centers on an eyeless girl named Sorina and her ability to create illusions. And then someone starts killing her illusions and she must work to find out why this is happening and most importantly how. I thought the characters were all very well developed and the plot was very intriguing. The book was adequately well paced as well, which made me not want to put down this enthralling read.
However, I did feel that there was some room for more world-building. Two things that are central to the plot are the politics of the Upper Mountain and Vallium and Angi’s backstories and development. While the book did excellent at surprising the reader with the “whodunit” portion of the book, it made me wonder if there were intentional clues left behind or if this revelation came out of nowhere like it appears to me right now.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a mystery fantasy stand-alone novel this is your book! It’s weird and fun and amazingly well written and it’ll keep you guessing until the very last page.
Rating: 3/5
Genre: YA Horror/Paranormal
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, ableism, homophobic slurs, abuse)
Pages: 308
Author: Hope Cook
Amazon
#partner: I received a free copy of this book from KidLitExchange in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
I’ve been looking for a good horror book for awhile and when I saw this book pop up on the KidLitExchange page, I wanted to give it a go. The book is a duel perspective novel that jumps between two time periods as well. We have Curtis who lives in modern day and is living with a mentally ill father and is worried he has inherited his father’s mental illness when he hears voices in the woods. His search for answers leads him to a mansion that burns down in 1894. In 1894, we have are given the perspective of Mila, who becomes victim to her evil step father when her mother mysteriously vanishes. She and her sister are desperate for escape before they fall prey to whatever lies in wait for them. I found that the writing style of this book, while I didn’t enjoy it, really suited the eerie and creepy nature of this story. I also thought that the plot was overall intriguing. This would be the perfect book for Halloween of 2018 for anyone who enjoys spooky reads.
However, I didn’t like the main characters at all. I think they fell flat in this book and that they didn’t really have a lot of development. I felt that there were also a ton of loose endings and that the ending didn’t really fit into the story that well. The book also had a ton of problematic elements to it and plot holes. One of my severe dislikes of this book was how mental illness was shown. The father in this book has some severe mental illness and he wanders around at night with a gun and aims it at his head. The father is also very violent and very scary. This does not do anything to destigmatize mental health and could harm it even further by pushing those who do struggle with mental illness into the dark more-so than some are now. The book also had some homophobic slurs, but it was addressed in the book. The book was also very slow paced. One of my other main problems in this book is a complaint I have for a lot of books where the parents are unfit to care for the children, but the children stick with it because they don’t want to be separated. Children who are taken as wards of the state or into foster care don’t normally get instantly separated unless there have been issues between the siblings that would warrant that, such as abuse of any kind between the siblings. The foster care systems generally try to keep siblings together and if that cannot happen then the siblings are usually put in nearby foster homes and sibling visitations are scheduled so the siblings can still maintain a bond. The social care workers also work diligently to find homes that can care for both kids in cases of adoption. No one wants to split up families and I’m really upset that the stigma is still around. This stigma keeps kids from crying for help because of the fear of not seeing their siblings anymore.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a good horror story for October 2018, this is your book. The book was full of chills and thrills and the plot was intriguing. However, there are some problematic elements in this book that you need to be aware of.
Genre: YA Horror/Paranormal
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, ableism, homophobic slurs, abuse)
Pages: 308
Author: Hope Cook
Amazon
#partner: I received a free copy of this book from KidLitExchange in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
I’ve been looking for a good horror book for awhile and when I saw this book pop up on the KidLitExchange page, I wanted to give it a go. The book is a duel perspective novel that jumps between two time periods as well. We have Curtis who lives in modern day and is living with a mentally ill father and is worried he has inherited his father’s mental illness when he hears voices in the woods. His search for answers leads him to a mansion that burns down in 1894. In 1894, we have are given the perspective of Mila, who becomes victim to her evil step father when her mother mysteriously vanishes. She and her sister are desperate for escape before they fall prey to whatever lies in wait for them. I found that the writing style of this book, while I didn’t enjoy it, really suited the eerie and creepy nature of this story. I also thought that the plot was overall intriguing. This would be the perfect book for Halloween of 2018 for anyone who enjoys spooky reads.
However, I didn’t like the main characters at all. I think they fell flat in this book and that they didn’t really have a lot of development. I felt that there were also a ton of loose endings and that the ending didn’t really fit into the story that well. The book also had a ton of problematic elements to it and plot holes. One of my severe dislikes of this book was how mental illness was shown. The father in this book has some severe mental illness and he wanders around at night with a gun and aims it at his head. The father is also very violent and very scary. This does not do anything to destigmatize mental health and could harm it even further by pushing those who do struggle with mental illness into the dark more-so than some are now. The book also had some homophobic slurs, but it was addressed in the book. The book was also very slow paced. One of my other main problems in this book is a complaint I have for a lot of books where the parents are unfit to care for the children, but the children stick with it because they don’t want to be separated. Children who are taken as wards of the state or into foster care don’t normally get instantly separated unless there have been issues between the siblings that would warrant that, such as abuse of any kind between the siblings. The foster care systems generally try to keep siblings together and if that cannot happen then the siblings are usually put in nearby foster homes and sibling visitations are scheduled so the siblings can still maintain a bond. The social care workers also work diligently to find homes that can care for both kids in cases of adoption. No one wants to split up families and I’m really upset that the stigma is still around. This stigma keeps kids from crying for help because of the fear of not seeing their siblings anymore.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a good horror story for October 2018, this is your book. The book was full of chills and thrills and the plot was intriguing. However, there are some problematic elements in this book that you need to be aware of.