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thenerdybookwitch's Reviews (678)
It took a long time for me to start it, then to listen to it—and finally rush to the end before it went back to the library. It was harrowing, but I could've easily avoided it if I hadn't been dumb and procrastinated.
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With that being said, yes I actually finished it. And I am so happy I did—despite what I put myself through to finish it—because I absolutely love this book. A Darker Shade of Magic was fantastic, but A Gathering of Shadows really added to the universe that V.E. Schwab masterfully created. The new characters I got to meet were incredible, and the ones that have carried over have my heart by its cords. This is one of the best sequels I've ever read. As I type this review, I have already moved onto A Conjuring of Light which I started IMMEDIATELY after A Gathering of Shadows. In saying that, I recommend everyone to move onto the third book after reading this one because it starts exactly where it left it. So there's my pre-warning.
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A Gathering of Shadows was an amazing read. And it's audiobook (which I listened to) is one of the best audiobooks I've ever listened to. I will be buying the physical copy as soon as I can, highly recommend this amazing trilogy!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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With that being said, yes I actually finished it. And I am so happy I did—despite what I put myself through to finish it—because I absolutely love this book. A Darker Shade of Magic was fantastic, but A Gathering of Shadows really added to the universe that V.E. Schwab masterfully created. The new characters I got to meet were incredible, and the ones that have carried over have my heart by its cords. This is one of the best sequels I've ever read. As I type this review, I have already moved onto A Conjuring of Light which I started IMMEDIATELY after A Gathering of Shadows. In saying that, I recommend everyone to move onto the third book after reading this one because it starts exactly where it left it. So there's my pre-warning.
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A Gathering of Shadows was an amazing read. And it's audiobook (which I listened to) is one of the best audiobooks I've ever listened to. I will be buying the physical copy as soon as I can, highly recommend this amazing trilogy!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I immediately listened to the audiobook as soon as I finished A Gathering of Shadows. And the only thing I can possibly say without giving anything away is that: this is a beautiful conclusion to a fantasy trilogy.
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So many things happen in this last book that days later as I type this, I'm still giddy with emotion over what I read. I'm happy with where the story went, I'm happy with all the characters, and I'm happy with the writing. I absolutely will recommend this trilogy to everybody, Shades of Magic is now one of my favourite fantasy trilogies I've ever read. If you want to have an adventure in a book, this is a great place to start. This trilogy is amazing. VE Schwab has a new fan and it is me. Thank you for such an amazing read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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So many things happen in this last book that days later as I type this, I'm still giddy with emotion over what I read. I'm happy with where the story went, I'm happy with all the characters, and I'm happy with the writing. I absolutely will recommend this trilogy to everybody, Shades of Magic is now one of my favourite fantasy trilogies I've ever read. If you want to have an adventure in a book, this is a great place to start. This trilogy is amazing. VE Schwab has a new fan and it is me. Thank you for such an amazing read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
While I was thinking about what I wanted to discuss for this review, I struggled to think of how to do so without spoilers. But after 2 days of sitting with my thoughts, I believe I've figured out how. So let's jump right into Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
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It's an okay book. I didn't love it as much as I wanted to, but I didn't hate it either. It was extremely predictable. I ended up coming up with conclusions that turned out to be true; nothing genuinely surprised me except for one thing. The rest I saw coming early on. Which did ruin the "mystery" part of the book for me. Another problem I had was the book's pacing. It did get better later in the story, but most of it didn't flow well at all. It took time in moments where it needed to be faster and was too quick in moments that needed to be slowed down. As I said, it did correct itself later on which makes me think that the weirdness of the first half's pace may have been the author's uncertainty on how to reach the conclusion he wanted. Which is not the easiest thing to do but I commend him for trying.
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Now let's talk about the things I loved about the book. The writing itself is very good, I also really liked the ideas and plot. I did listen to the audiobook so I didn't get to see the photographs that the book is famous for. However, they are described very clearly so I was able to form an idea of the pictures in my head. It didn't take away from my reading experience at all, I still enjoyed the narrative without seeing the photos. And of course the last thing I loved was the third act of the book. The pacing was great, it wasn't as predictable as the acts before it, and it made me want to continue on with the rest of the series because I care about these characters now.
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I do wish that I loved this book, it had the things I usually like reading about. But it ultimately depends on how perfectly packaged all those elements can be in a story. I have hope that the second one will be a much better read. I still recommend Peculiar Children for its very interesting ideas and writing. As for me though, I'll just give my rating and move on to the next book.
3/5⭐️
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It's an okay book. I didn't love it as much as I wanted to, but I didn't hate it either. It was extremely predictable. I ended up coming up with conclusions that turned out to be true; nothing genuinely surprised me except for one thing. The rest I saw coming early on. Which did ruin the "mystery" part of the book for me. Another problem I had was the book's pacing. It did get better later in the story, but most of it didn't flow well at all. It took time in moments where it needed to be faster and was too quick in moments that needed to be slowed down. As I said, it did correct itself later on which makes me think that the weirdness of the first half's pace may have been the author's uncertainty on how to reach the conclusion he wanted. Which is not the easiest thing to do but I commend him for trying.
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Now let's talk about the things I loved about the book. The writing itself is very good, I also really liked the ideas and plot. I did listen to the audiobook so I didn't get to see the photographs that the book is famous for. However, they are described very clearly so I was able to form an idea of the pictures in my head. It didn't take away from my reading experience at all, I still enjoyed the narrative without seeing the photos. And of course the last thing I loved was the third act of the book. The pacing was great, it wasn't as predictable as the acts before it, and it made me want to continue on with the rest of the series because I care about these characters now.
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I do wish that I loved this book, it had the things I usually like reading about. But it ultimately depends on how perfectly packaged all those elements can be in a story. I have hope that the second one will be a much better read. I still recommend Peculiar Children for its very interesting ideas and writing. As for me though, I'll just give my rating and move on to the next book.
3/5⭐️
I didn't know that I Know What You Did Last Summer was a book many years before it became a film. So when I found out I naturally had to give it a chance. I went in expecting differences, which there are but I'm not going to say what they are. I'm just going to talk about the book so here we go.
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I definitely enjoyed it more than my previous read (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children). It wasn't predictable, and the writing is super clever. I loved Julie and Ray, they're the best written main characters out of the four. The premise is awesome, and overall I liked what I read.
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My only gripe is the other two teenager's Helen and Barry. Their character developments weren't very developed; nothing really changes with them. You can tell that the writer favoured Julie and Ray because they were the most put together. I know I said I wasn't going to mention the film, but I'm only going to mention it here to make a point. Helen and Barry are very uninteresting in the book and they stay the same throughout the story. In the movie, they actually do get proper character development and are more interesting. If the book took as much care with Barry and Helen as the movie did then I would like them. Well care up to a certain point, if you've seen the movie you know what I mean.
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Overall, I did enjoy it a lot. It was super easy to listen to due to it having just 4 parts. So if you want a super easy to read Teen thriller mystery to read in the summer, then check this one out.
3.5/5⭐️
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I definitely enjoyed it more than my previous read (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children). It wasn't predictable, and the writing is super clever. I loved Julie and Ray, they're the best written main characters out of the four. The premise is awesome, and overall I liked what I read.
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My only gripe is the other two teenager's Helen and Barry. Their character developments weren't very developed; nothing really changes with them. You can tell that the writer favoured Julie and Ray because they were the most put together. I know I said I wasn't going to mention the film, but I'm only going to mention it here to make a point. Helen and Barry are very uninteresting in the book and they stay the same throughout the story. In the movie, they actually do get proper character development and are more interesting. If the book took as much care with Barry and Helen as the movie did then I would like them. Well care up to a certain point, if you've seen the movie you know what I mean.
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Overall, I did enjoy it a lot. It was super easy to listen to due to it having just 4 parts. So if you want a super easy to read Teen thriller mystery to read in the summer, then check this one out.
3.5/5⭐️
After hearing about how similar Shadow of the Fox was to Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi by a friend, I immediately ordered the audiobook and gave it a listen. I'm so glad I did because I have a new favourite, and it's Shadow of the Fox. Let's dive right in:
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This book is awesome. The representation of feudal Japan and its folklore is stunning. The characters had amazing arcs and their development was handled phenomenally. I cared about all the main characters. I'm super excited to see how everyone will progress in the other two novels. The writing itself was really good! I did listen to the audiobook which had three narrators so the multiple POVs were very easy to distinguish and understand. It didn't distract me at all. I suggest listening to the audiobook if you are not a fan of reading multiple POVs, it will make it much easier.
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So the story itself is really good. It's very manga-esque: the main plot being established while the character's go through experiences for necessary development that is unrelated to the plot while also following it. It's episodic and saga-like all at once. If you're not a fan of that formula, you probably won't like it. But I still say give it the benefit of the doubt, it's a perfect blend of plot driven and character driven storylines. And you never know, it might surprise you.
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The formula is not original having read it in so many manga series before, but I'm okay with that. Julie Kagawa took everything that I love to read in manga and put it all in Shadow of the Fox creating a new story that I absolutely adore. This was my first time reading one of her books and I'm so happy I started with this trilogy. It's fun, it's dark, it's full of adventure; I highly recommend picking it up and reading it or giving the audiobook a listen. It was fantastic.
5/5⭐️
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This book is awesome. The representation of feudal Japan and its folklore is stunning. The characters had amazing arcs and their development was handled phenomenally. I cared about all the main characters. I'm super excited to see how everyone will progress in the other two novels. The writing itself was really good! I did listen to the audiobook which had three narrators so the multiple POVs were very easy to distinguish and understand. It didn't distract me at all. I suggest listening to the audiobook if you are not a fan of reading multiple POVs, it will make it much easier.
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So the story itself is really good. It's very manga-esque: the main plot being established while the character's go through experiences for necessary development that is unrelated to the plot while also following it. It's episodic and saga-like all at once. If you're not a fan of that formula, you probably won't like it. But I still say give it the benefit of the doubt, it's a perfect blend of plot driven and character driven storylines. And you never know, it might surprise you.
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The formula is not original having read it in so many manga series before, but I'm okay with that. Julie Kagawa took everything that I love to read in manga and put it all in Shadow of the Fox creating a new story that I absolutely adore. This was my first time reading one of her books and I'm so happy I started with this trilogy. It's fun, it's dark, it's full of adventure; I highly recommend picking it up and reading it or giving the audiobook a listen. It was fantastic.
5/5⭐️
Ever wondered what would happen if you and your best friend got sucked into an ancient/cursed book you found in your local library? Well thanks to Yuu Watase's Fushigi Yugi, that question is answered by Miaka and Yui's experiences inside a book called The Universe of the Four Gods. I have wanted to read this manga series since I was a teenager. After so many years of wanting to read this classic manga, I have finally finished Fushigi Yugi. I'm not going to delay this further, let's jump right into the review:
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I love this series so much. I have never laughed, cheered, or cried harder with any manga I've ever had the pleasure reading. I know now why Fushigi Yugi is considered a manga classic. The characters are beautifully well thought out and have amazing development! The story itself is really good; it was unpredictable, going in completely different directions that I never expected it to go. The dialogue in Fushigi Yugi is incredible, Yuu Watase writes as wonderfully as she draws and the English translator did a very good job translating her words. A lot of it was surprisingly powerful. Even now I wish I had written them down when I had the chance, because a lot the characters say some very amazing quotes. The writing was so fantastic. I can't praise this manga enough.
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Fushigi Yugi is not for everyone. It deals with a lot of heavy/dark subject matter involving teenage girls, not for softhearted readers or kids. However, the funny/lighthearted moments are just as common as the dark/horrifying ones; so I think it's balanced. If you choose to read Fushigi Yugi, I think that you'll find a unique and powerful story that you had no idea that you needed. It's fun, it's scary, it's full of adventure, it's a tearjerker—it's one of the greatest mangas I have officially ever read. I highly recommend Fushigi Yugi, it was an amazing reading experience I will always appreciate and treasure.
5/5⭐️
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I love this series so much. I have never laughed, cheered, or cried harder with any manga I've ever had the pleasure reading. I know now why Fushigi Yugi is considered a manga classic. The characters are beautifully well thought out and have amazing development! The story itself is really good; it was unpredictable, going in completely different directions that I never expected it to go. The dialogue in Fushigi Yugi is incredible, Yuu Watase writes as wonderfully as she draws and the English translator did a very good job translating her words. A lot of it was surprisingly powerful. Even now I wish I had written them down when I had the chance, because a lot the characters say some very amazing quotes. The writing was so fantastic. I can't praise this manga enough.
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Fushigi Yugi is not for everyone. It deals with a lot of heavy/dark subject matter involving teenage girls, not for softhearted readers or kids. However, the funny/lighthearted moments are just as common as the dark/horrifying ones; so I think it's balanced. If you choose to read Fushigi Yugi, I think that you'll find a unique and powerful story that you had no idea that you needed. It's fun, it's scary, it's full of adventure, it's a tearjerker—it's one of the greatest mangas I have officially ever read. I highly recommend Fushigi Yugi, it was an amazing reading experience I will always appreciate and treasure.
5/5⭐️
