Gothic fiction is my absolute favourite, and I'm so interested in how authors are using the gothic to explore post-colonial themes and ideas. Mexican Gothic fiction is my absolute favourite, and I'm so interested in how authors are using the gothic to explore post-colonial themes and ideas. Mexican Gothic is a perfect example of how the gothic is still a relevant literary mode. This book explores eugenics, colonialism in Mexico and historical oppression through the gothic representations of the house, family, and the supernatural hauntings that follow them both.
I LOVED the first half of this book so much. It was super tense and built up the atmosphere so well. I loved how Moreno-Garcia built the gothic setting up slowly and kept building the tension and mystery. The second half I didn't like as much, it felt less tight and tense and I found it ended too quickly. That said, I still really liked the ending.
does anyone else feel like YA fantasy has been kinda dropping the ball lately? Because I'm here to report yet ANOTHER one has let me down and I don't does anyone else feel like YA fantasy has been kinda dropping the ball lately? Because I'm here to report yet ANOTHER one has let me down and I don't know who to blame at this point.
“Beware the woods and the dark, dank, deep. He'll follow you home, and he won't let you sleep.”
Sawkill Girls is a fantasy horror set on Sawkill Island - where an unusual and alarming amount of young girls go missing without a trace. No bodies, no word, no clues. When Zoey's best friend becomes the next missing girl - she decides it's time to find out what is happening on Sawkill once and for all.
We follow three main characters, whose lives on the Island begin to intertwine as they confront the islands hidden secrets, and the evil that lurks in the shadows.
🌲 Zoey Our main character - Island inhabitant who lost her best friend and wants to know what happened. Notoriously called out Val for stealing her best friend, and will do anything to find out what happened to her. She is asexual, black, and attracted to both girls and boys. Her father is also the town sheriff, and her ex Grayson plays a role in the book.
🌲 Valerie/Val The islands queen bee who comes from a long line of wealthy women who live on the island. She has a secret and is part of a dark family legacy she cannot escape. She is also sapphic, but doesn't have a label.
🌲 Marion A new comer to the island. She moves to Sawkill with her sister, but soon becomes embroiled with the mystery of Sawkill Island. She becomes friends with both Zoey and Val, and is part of an f/f relationship in this book.
“Tragedy had touched Sawkill, again and again and again, but after each girl’s disappearance, once a respectable amount of time had passed, everyone seemed to stop caring.”
First of all, there is plenty to like here. Sawkill Girls is the spooky, atmospheric horror book that is perfect for cuddling down in bed with around Halloween. Legrand did a good job at constructing atmosphere here, and bringing a creepy aesthetic to the book - which included moth infested rooms, dark things crawling in the woods, scattered human body parts, demon children and plenty of blood, gore and trauma. There were parts of this book which genuinely creeped me out, especially those involving demon entities, and I really liked that this book managed to creep me out a little.
I also really enjoyed the romances and relationships in this. The f/f relationship is WONDERFUL and I really loved how literally every character in this was sapphic. The romance was sweet and while it wasn't a major part of the story, it was there just enough to keep me happy and satisfied. The secondary relationship between Grayson and Zoey, which isn't really a romance but is more a friendship where they used to be exes was also GREAT. I love seeing exes in books because I feel it is so rare, and I adored their dynamic and friendship SO much.
But for me what just didn't work was the characters, and part two.
The characters were enjoyable to read about, but I didn't find myself particular invested in them. This may be because of the audiobook narrator, but I often found myself mixing them up and forgetting which one was which, and what their story or role was. Marion and Zoey especially I was getting mixed up.
I also think part two of this book relied a lot on me being invested in and believed in their frienship as a trio which .. I wasn't feeling so much. While I think it was there, it didn't pull me in to the degree I would have liked, and I didn't feel convinced by what Legrand was putting down in this.
I also found part two extremely predictable. While I loved the set up in part one, and the mystery elements, the second part didn't really stick the landing for me. The major plot points were obvious, and some felt a little cliche. There was really only one scene in part two I REALLY REALLY LOVED and the rest I just enjoyed, but didn't feel particularly strongly on.
“Decades of dead girls. Poor girls and rich girls. Black and brown and white girls. All of them Sawkill girls.”
That all being said, I think this is a book many could love. Even though I'm giving it a three star (which still means I liked it) I would 100% recommend it. This did have a really enjoyable set up and some great, creepy, atmospheric writing and scenes. The romances were wonderful, and there wasn't anything wrong with the plot - it just didn't grab me as much as I needed to rate it higher. But if you like creepy books - and if you liked books like Strange the Dreamer or even The Raven Boys I think you could definitely like this !
“I am all in a sea of wonders. I doubt; I fear; I think strange things, which I dare not confess to my own soul.”
I liked this a lot! I had a lot o
“I am all in a sea of wonders. I doubt; I fear; I think strange things, which I dare not confess to my own soul.”
I liked this a lot! I had a lot of fun reading it. It's got a lot of tension, mystery, build-up and even some humour I wasn't expecting. I love the gothic, so obviously I loved the atmosphere of this and all the different gothic elements. These editions have such excellent footnotes and appendixes too which I really liked reading as well.
Definitely, Dracula is one of the easiest classics I've read in terms of style, but I found it nice to be sucked into the story and involved in the atmosphere rather than having to actively analyse and try to interpret the writing.
Now, can we just talk about how Mina is underrated and had the potential to be a bad bitch had she just been allowed to embrace the dark side
This has been on my list for a while so I'm glad I've finally ticked it off. ...more
“Sticks and stones keep breaking my bones but these words, these words will kill me.”
Going into this book, I wanted Warner to die. And coming out
“Sticks and stones keep breaking my bones but these words, these words will kill me.”
Going into this book, I wanted Warner to die. And coming out of this book, I recognise Warner is extremely valid and deserves better. Any author who can turn my mind about a character around like that deserves kudos, to be honest.
Shatter Me is essentially about: two moody boys and their ridiculous crush on the bad bitch girl who everyone underestimates until she shoots them in the kneecaps and honestly? I'm living for it
This series is .. extremely angsty and dramatic. But I love it. I love it. Look, drama and angst can honestly be so good, when pulled off right, and Teherah Mafi knows how to pull it off. I love how invested I felt in the characters and everything that was happening and the romance. That angst that just actually gives you a physical and emotional reaction but in a .. good way? is what I live for. I am a major angst demon and Teheram Mafi fed me so, so well.
“The truth," he says, "is a painful reminder of why I prefer to live among the lies.”
I adore the writing and format of this series. Teherah Mafi's writing is so beautiful and the imagery is so vivid. The setting and emotions of the characters are so palpable and I love how she connects character with genre form. The way she uses the first person point of view and journal style entry-esque format to construct the characters and destabilise our perceptions of this is really heckin clever. Juliette is, 100%, an unreliable narrator but I happen to really love those. And I love how Teherah Mafi used form to explore how she is unreliable. The lessening of the crossed out lines and the implication that, as Juliette gains friends and confidence, she also gains trust in her perceptions and emotions is just a really beautiful and unique way to utilise form. I am just, a ginormous hoe for authors doing real clever things with narrative point of view and genre form and Teheram Mafi does BOTH. I once again, have to respect the hell out of her.
“Nothing in this life will ever make sense to me but I can't help but try to collect the change and hope it's enough to pay for our mistakes.”
Okay lets talk about characters:
➢ JULIETTE: I love a bad bitch? Honestly Juliette's character growth has been SO GOOD so far. I really love that she started out this really naive character but she's becoming more strong willed and developing all this fortitude. I love how she went from letting people push her around to really taking a stand for what she believes needs to be done for her own self care here. I'm talking about the romance there. Juliette gets so much shit from reviewers here and I don't know why? I think she's super interesting I seriously love how unreliable her narration is at times, it makes everything much more interesting.
➢ WARNER: I cannot believe how much my mind changed on him. I still think he's a bit of a dick and problematic as fuck but I also ... like totally am on board with him too? His point of view and backstory were expanded on a lot here and it definitely strengthened his character. Again, a testament to Mafi's clever writing and incorporation of narrative point of view because she was really able to shift how we view Warner without it feeling unnatural. Also, we respect a mans with style and flair and that is what Warner has.
➢ ADAM: Honestly .. I was never totally sold on Adam and now I like him ... even less. His behaviour int his book was a little bit icky and I don't love how possessive he is and how uncontrollable he can be. His outbursts really annoyed me and I hated that he wilfully kept Juliette in the dark about things that concerned her. Essentially, if this was 2013 I would be sporting a #TeamWarner shirt right now.
➢ KENJI: THE REAL MVP OF THIS SERIES! We stan one (1) man only! Honestly Kenji made me laugh out loud and he's supposed to be the comic relief so that made sense. But he genuinely is funny which is nice because I hate when the 'funny' character is .. not. I also think Kenji's character got so much important expansion though that moved him beyond the realm of the tropey funny character and made him more real. The reveal of his backstory and history with Castle was one of my favourite scenes of the book.
“Loneliness is a strange sort of thing. It creeps on you, quiet and still, sits by your side in the dark, strokes by your hair as you sleep. It wraps itself around your bones, squeezing so tight you almost can't breathe. It leaves lies in your heart, lies next to you at night, leaches the light out of every corner. It's a constant companion, clasping your hand only to yank you down when you're struggling to stand up."
my one issue with this book and why I had to give it a three star not a four was the pacing. I found the first half of this book really slow and kinda boring. Nothing was really happening and the angst around Juliette and Adam's relationship just annoyed me because I don't like Adam enough to care about his emo behaviour. Only when Warner showed up and the plot kicked in did I really find this more interesting. Unfortunately though, it was too little too late.
I also think the side characters weren't really developed enough and it made the stakes less important. None of the side characters held any weight for me because they were barely explored and because of that, their precarious situation had little emotional impact on me. Because of that, the gravity of the plot felt much less apparent and most of the tension in the middle section was lost.
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OKAY. All you people who said I would love Warner by the end can pat yourselves on the back for a job well done because I guess you were right. I really cannot wait to read Ignite Me, I've heard it's the best in the series and I just am so ready for Juliette to become even more of the badass she was always meant to be. ...more
I just want to make a disclaimer before I start this review. I'm extremely picky about retellings and probably need to stop reactual rating: 2.5 stars
I just want to make a disclaimer before I start this review. I'm extremely picky about retellings and probably need to stop reading them because of it. So there's that.
“You are mine, Elizabeth Lavenza, and nothing will take you from me. Not even death.”
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is a retelling of Frankenstein, written to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Frankenstein. I read Frankenstein earlier this year, and liked it. I'm also a huge fan of White's And I Darken series so I thought, even despite my aversion to retellings, I would like this.
This essentially follows Elizabeth Lavenza from Frankenstein, and puts her at the centre of the story. We open with Elizabeth going to find Victor, in that time while he is away at university and hasn't written home in months. From there, the events of Frankenstein begin to occur, and mingle in with Elizabeth's story. First and foremost, this is a story about womens agency, toxic love, and banding together in solidarity against a society that casts you as an outsider.
I am just going to say: I think there is many things many people will enjoy in this. I just didn't love the direction or choices White took to retell this story and so I automatically wasn't the hugest fan? but if you like those choices you will probably like this.
From the beginning I found this quite slow. The first almost 150 pages move pretty slowly, especially since I've read Frankenstein and it's pretty much the exact same events. So it felt really predictable, and was kind of boring for me. The second half of this book was MUCH more interesting, and I read it really quickly. It is also at this point the events start to move away from those of the original story.
But like I said, I didn't love some of the choices Kiersten White made with this. I feel like some of the changes kind of took away from the original themes or intent of the original? And while I don't think that is a bad thing to do in a retelling, I just thought this was so bland and predictable compared to the original even though it should have been more interesting. The monster and Victor felt so one dimensional and I just wasn't loving it? But again, I recognise this is personal preference.
As for characters, I would say I liked the characters but didn't love them. Even though I enjoyed reading about them, I didn't really feel emotionally attached to any of them. Elizabeth definitely had an interesting character arc and I enjoyed how White made Elizabeth into a much more dynamic and interesting character than the original. But that said, I feel like she did such a predictable thing with her character, and her characterisation was written in such a way I knew what would happen and what her arc would be from the start.
Justine and Mary were also nice, but I didn't love them. I did love the whole friendship of the three and their interactions though. I wish Mary had been in it more, I really loved her but she doesn't appear for the entire middle of the book. I also felt, again, some of the potential of Justine's character was wasted with what happens to her.
One thing I did love though - White's dedication to modernising the story and incorporating strong female characters as the central focal point. All the women in the original who we don't get to see much of get their proper attention here which was a highlight. I especially liked Justine and Elizabeths friendship - and how Elizabeth avenges Justine and the general outrage over their treatment which is never in the original we finally get to see.
I also think the discussions around toxic love and abuse were well done too. And this is very much about reclaiming agency, which I enjoyed a lot.
Like, overall I really get (and appreciate) what White was trying to do here. I think she just didn't nail it all for me, or present her themes in a way that wasn't extremely obtuse. I get what she was doing - but I wish the themes had been explored in a more nuanced and subtle way? Instead of the characters saying them in dialogue half the time? (DOES THIS EVEN MAKE SENSE?!?) Urgh.
“I am not saying you should not feel remorse or sadness. But if nothing else, your past should teach you the value of life. The wild and precious joy of it. Do not let Victor steal that, too. He has already taken enough.”
Overall, a lot of the elements of this story didn't necessarily gel with me though I recognise there is still a lot of things people could like here. Although I do think the first half of the story is legitimately slow - I think that is my only complaint that is not just personal preference. If you want a story that really plays with Frankenstein, and puts Elizabeth at the forefront - you should try this. If you like what Kiersten White does with this retelling more than I did, you will probably like it. For me though, the plot wasn't all there, and the characters, while well written, never really grabbed me in a big way.
thankyou to Penguin for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for my review
“He wasn't made of flesh and bone, or starlight. He was made of darkness.”
monsters who wish they were human, and a human girl doing all she can to
“He wasn't made of flesh and bone, or starlight. He was made of darkness.”
monsters who wish they were human, and a human girl doing all she can to become a monster. Victoria Schwab always comes up with the best concepts, and This Savage Song is no exception - there's morally grey characters, deadly music, gangs, violence breeding actual physical monsters and so much more.
I never actually intended to read this book. I enjoy what V.E Schwab does and liked both Vicious and A Darker Shade of Magic, but I just had it in my head I wouldn't enjoy this book. The theming sounded uninteresting to me and I wasn't sold on some of the plot elements. This book definitely took me by surprise in terms of how much I liked it. It was full of action and I adored the worldbuilding. Honestly, worldbuilding is always my favourite aspect of Schwab's books, followed by characters.
As I said, the worldbuilding was impeccable. We're introduced to a city where violent acts create actual monsters, and a war between two rival gangs has seen the city divided between the North and the South. I loved the entire aesthetic of the setting and just the entire concept of all these monsters. Victoria Schwab is just so excellent at coming up with intriguing and palpable settings for her stories, and I just want to know more and more about them.
Although I generally like Schwab's character work, I do think it was lacking just a little bit here. While the characters are still well written, and I really liked them I feel like they weren't as complex as they could have been. Victoria Schwab always creates characters with dimensions but I think both August and Kate felt a bit predictable. Like I had seen them before.
“Not with a bang, but with a whimper. In with gunfire and out with smoke.”
One of the things I didn't like about this was that it was too repetitive. What I mean is: Schwab parrots themes and ideas she's introduced in her other books, and while that's fine, coming straight off reading Vicious this felt really repetitive. And so the whole thematic thing going on didn't really grab me.
However, what did grab me was the breakneck speed of this book. I think of all the Schwab books I've read, this one has the most well constructed plot. It was tight, and it didn't falter one bit. There was always some action occurring, and tension rising, which made this hard to put down. I have had pacing issues with Schwab before but they were nowhere to be seen here, and that is a testament to her growth as an author between this book and say, Vicious.
August found himself nodding, even though he spent most of his time afraid. Afraid of what he was, afraid of what he wasn’t, afraid of unraveling, becoming something else, becoming nothing
I definitely enjoyed this, and I want to read Our Dark Duet asap it's not my favourite of her works (I tend to enjoy her adult more?) but this was still really good. I love Victoria Schwab, I think she comes up with the most interesting and exciting premises of any author going at the moment, and her worlds and setting are always so freakin amazing. While I didn't think this was the perfect book, I still really enjoyed it, for it's excellent action, plotting and pacing. ...more
my friends were like, read this science mermaid book with a cute f/f romance its so good !!!
.. little did I know I'd be lying in my bed terrified out my friends were like, read this science mermaid book with a cute f/f romance its so good !!!
.. little did I know I'd be lying in my bed terrified out my mind about getting eaten and/or drowned by a fucking SIREN !! thanks pals !!
“Do I think they found mermaids? Yes. Of course I do. And I think the mermaids ate them all.”
So as I said, a lot of my friends really love this, hence why I knew I needed to read it. I mean .. killer mermaids, a government cover-up, an f/f relationship and horror elements set in the Marianna Trench?? Sign me up!
The other reason this was on my radar is because of the author. Mira Grant is the pseudonym used by Seanan McGuire for her adult books. Seanan McGuire is the same author who wrote Every Heart A Doorway AKA a book/series I ADORE.
So all in all there were soo many reasons for me to read this, and as expected, I enjoyed it so much!
Into the Drowning Deep is a paranormal horror with one of my favourite premises of all time. Seven years ago, Imagine, an entertainment company, sent the Atargatis to the Marianna Trench, tasking it's crew with filming a "mockumentary" about mermaids. It was lost at sea with all hands. Now, in the present day, Imagine is sending a new vessel to the Trench - equipped with the latest tech and filled with specialised scientists. Their job? To prove everyone on board the Atargatis really was killed by mermaids.
“It was beautiful, in its own terrible way. So many monsters are.”
Lets get the big thing out the way first like I said THIS BOOK WAS HECKIN SCARY. If you don't like the thought of creepy shit living in the deep ocean, and being isolated on a boat days away from land and rescue .... well. There is soo much in here that genuinely gave me the chills. I don't always find horror books scary or creepy but this one DEFINITELY got me a few times. Especially that scene when [redacted] goes into the challenger deep. (IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW)
One huge strength of Grant's that shone here is her ability to balance the outlandish with the realistic. Whilst we are dealing with mermaids here, I loved the heavy science focus and the look at mermaids not so much as mythological figures, but as highly intelligent animals who have evolved on a completely different trajectory to humans. This approach to mermaids was something I haven't seen before, and I definitely enjoyed this perspective.
There was also some thematic stuff I wasn't expecting in here but I loved! There is a huge focus on conservation and the cost of environmental destruction. This was approached in a really great way, looking at the moral and ethical dilemmas surrounding this themes. I wasn't expecting this book to be so heavy on that, but it added a depth I really appreciated.
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lets talk characters!
we follow six main characters -
🔬 Victoria Stewart Out for answers and possible revenge because her sister was part of the Atargatis crew. She is also bisexual! I loved Tory, she takes no shit and she was such a strong, well written character because her motivations were so believable and sympathetic.
🔬 Olivia Sanderson Imagine's face of entertainment, tasked with filming every single thing that happens on the trip. She stole Victoria's sisters job so there is some immediate tension there. She is autistic and also super geeky and cute and I love her.
🔬 Dr Jillian Toth Worlds leading expert in Sirens and Mermaids and not dealing well with the fact she thinks she sent an entire boat full of people to their death. SHE WAS MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER. Absolute science queen, who is more than happy to look a killer mermaid in the eyes if it means getting the scientific breakthrough she's been looking for.
🔬 Hallie, Heather and Holly Wilson deaf twins Heather and Holly, who have very different hobbies. One who is into science (organic chemistry) and one who is into deep sea dives into the Mariana Trench to try and find the bottom. And their older sister Hallie, who acts as their sign language interpreter. I loved both these characters and Hallie's plot line was probably my favourite of all the subplots!
“Humanity was cruel, and if you were prepared to try to find a bottom to that cruelty, you had best be prepared for a long, long fall.”
This is such an epic, fun (but terrifying) book. Once the action gets going it never lets up, it feels like the horror and the gore and the action just keeps coming and coming and coming. One thing Grant does excellently here is build up the tension. The beginning of this book is ominous and spooky - a flash of mermaid tale, something not quire right in the water, the dark of the ocean becoming more and more pronounced. She sets up the atmosphere perfectly. You know that scene in the movie, where they're on the boat and the music cuts out, and all you can hear is the dark water lapping against the wood of the boat .. and you just Know something is coming?? Imagine all that build up, and picturing that exactly, the tension rising and rising until BAM. You are thrown into an all out bloody confrontation. It is horrifying and also excellent.
But I did have some issues Mainly, the ending. For me, the action just seemed to cut out too quick and the book ended very abruptly. I felt many of the subplots were left unresolved and that really frustrated me. (view spoiler)[WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MERMAID HALLIE WAS STARTING TO COMMUNICATE WITH??! (hide spoiler)] I also hated the Wilson family because their names were SO SIMILAR. I kept getting them all mixed up which was frustrating. Finally, there were two characters I felt the narrative was trying to get me to sympathise with and I just .... did not. Which kinda impacted my investment in their plot lines.
But despite those gripes this was a hugely enjoyable novel and I truly hope the sequel happens because I want those plot points wrapped up! I don't tend to read horror much so this felt so unique and fun to me. I adored the spin on mermaids, making them deadly deep sea creatures out for human blood, and the characters really completed this action packed, murder mermaid horror story. Highly recommend !...more
Riddle me this: there are people on this hellsite that read yeti/human porn and yet a book with potentially the best premise in the world (girl raisesRiddle me this: there are people on this hellsite that read yeti/human porn and yet a book with potentially the best premise in the world (girl raises murdered BFF from the dead to try and solve her murder) isn't even getting THE HYPE it deserves??
"There's nowhere to step on the rotting porch that doesn't come with a screech or a groan of wood, so I walk with my usual sense of purpose. Boots on the ground. Collar up. Zombies behind me."
So, this book is fucking fantastic and not just because it has the best premise ever. It was so fun, had a really interesting cast of characters, a compelling mystery, witchy and zombie stuff, lots of diversity and was so funny that it made me laugh out loud in parts.
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the good
→ SO MUCH FUN This whole book was just so funny and easy to read and feel good. The girls all coming back as zombies, with a healthy dose of zombie gore such as heads falling off and wrists snapping out of place was kind of campy and meta and it was great. This book knew exactly where to make fun of it's own genre, if you've ever seen Warm Bodies or What We Do in the Shadows its similar vibe to those. I really liked how this book kind of laughed at it's own ridiculousness. I also LOVED the narrators snarky, sarcastic narration. It was so funny and so REFRESHING and I loved her take no shit attitude. I feel like if you liked the concept of Leah being snarky in Leah on the Offbeat but didn't like the execution, you'll like this. I feel it was a similar concept but I liked how it functioned in this book a lot more.
→ THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP! Most of this book is about Mila, Riley, Dayton and June's friendship and how their friendships change throughout this book. Mila and Riley are best friends but June and Dayton are the school mean girls. Undead Girl Gang definitely looked at the mean girl trope and deconstructed it. I thought that was really fun. I just really loved how so much of this book was about teen girls and how cool they are. I also really liked the focus on redemption and the concept that, as people, we're all growing. And that you can't expect teenage girls to be perfect models of what a person should be DESPITE how they are portrayed.
→ THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP! Most of this book is about Mila, Riley, Dayton and June's friendship and how their friendships change throughout this book. Mila and Riley are best friends but June and Dayton are the school mean girls. Undead Girl Gang definitely looked at the mean girl trope and deconstructed it. I thought that was really fun. I just really loved how so much of this book was about teen girls and how cool they are. I also really liked the focus on redemption and the concept that, as people, we're all growing. And that you can't expect teenage girls to be perfect models of what a person should be DESPITE how they are portrayed.
→ WELL DEVELOPED CHARACTERS I loved that each character had such distinct interests and hobbies and personalities. SO OFTEN I feel like teenage girls in books have literally no traits. They're just kinda there. This was NOT the case here. June loves astrology and her interjections about astrology were hilarious. (I'm a Taurus. I don't forgive. lmfao) Dayton loves singing and swimming and her remorse about dying before she could enjoy these things was really refreshing .. I feel like so much "dying" narratives revolve around love/sex stuff like that, it was cool she was sad she couldn't do things she loved anymore. Mila and Riley, of course, are super into Wicca and magic and are both creative, Mila especially.
→ WITCHINESS This is probably the only book I've read with a serious Wiccan main character and it was really refreshing to read about. I liked that the different covens in the area came into play and the creepy vibe kinda reminded me of The Raven Boys.
→ DIVERSITY So the main character is Mexican and fat and has anxiety, and there is lesbian witches, plus a black fat side character, and much more.
"If you would kill for me. Then you can die for me. "
why not 5 stars
→ ENDING The ending wasn't bad, per say. I just didn't buy it. I definitely thought it could have been stronger and I would have liked to see things more thoroughly wrapped up. One incident at the end, in particular, I really thought needed more closure than what it got. I also felt like certain reveals were too rushed and more build up was needed. Overall, I think this book could have just been like .... 50 pages longer?
→ FAMILY Most of Mila and Riley's family is absent throughout this book and I kinda wish they hadn't been. The family dynamics, especially with Mila and her sisters was so promising at the start and I felt it kinda got thrown aside. I wish it had been developed more.
“A scoop of dried rosemary goes into the bag, followed by salt. Sometimes, magic looks a lot like how my mom prepares chicken.”
I had SO MUCH FUN reading this book. The whole premise was so unique and this entire book felt extremely fresh. I can't think of any books with a premise or set up that feel at all similar. The focus on teenage girls being valid and growing was nice and the mystery was really well written. I really enjoyed this and it definitely needs more hype !...more
“The land is old, the land is vast, he has no future, he has no past, his coat is sewn with many woes, he'll br
REREAD 2020 i lov my bitches so much
“The land is old, the land is vast, he has no future, he has no past, his coat is sewn with many woes, he'll bring the dead, the King of Crows.”
okay I love this series so much and just thinking about how it could be 2 years until the finale comes out makes me want to check out and live in a cave and this was me favourite of the series, which is an unpopular opinion. But oh my GOD the payoff !! the character development !! the threads coming together !! THE PLOT THICKENED THE FUCK UP AND I LOVE IT
So I've already explained why y'all should read this series in my review of both The Diviners and Lair of Dreams. BUT IM GONNA DO IT AGAIN BECAUSE THIS SERIES IS UNDERRATED AND DESERVES BETTER.
“Before the Devil breaks you, first he will make you love him.”
so what is this series about? a group of unique teenagers who unique powers. who become super involved in occult things accidentally. there's demons and ghosts (that are trying to kill people). and it's all set in 1920's america (YES, there's an abundance of flappers, bootlegged gin and jazz age slang) im sorry did you just hear me say it's a ensemble cast of superpowered kids who hunt demons and ghosts IN THE ROARING TWENTIES how does that premise NOT SELL YOU. But also, Libba Bray is sure to remove her rose-tinted glasses when writing the setting. She examines prohibition, Jim Crow laws, the eugenics movement, the resurgence of the KKK, segregation, poverty, racism, police brutality, gang crime and more. And doing so makes this book, overall, so much better. It's much more well rounded, and depicts America as it IS, not as it would have you think it is.
okay so the best thing is the characters. Evie, a flapper with a drinking problem who's a bit of a mess, but has a good heart. Memphis a black boy from Harlem who just wants to be a poet. Mabel Evie's best friend, who's overshadowed by her famous socialist parents. Theta a girl with a mysterious past who wants to be an actress her roommate Henry who's just trying to write songs and live his best gay life. Ling, a Chinese, lesbian-asexual girl with a disability who's trying to make it in Chinatown. Sam a jewish boy from Russia who'd do anything to find his missing mother Jericho an ex-soldier with a dangerous secret.
and I love them all SO MUCH. Seriously, if you love character driven stories, or just stories where the characters are really, really well fleshed out YOU'LL LOVE THIS BOOK. Also, they're all SO FUCKING FUNNY. The banter is amazing! Especially between Sam and .. well anyone. But all of them have awesome one liners and quips and things and oh my gOD I just love them all as a group so much.
“But isn’t that strange and wonderful unpredictability part of humanity? Aren’t all of our differences what already make us a great nation?”
so some thoughts about this book specifically I pretty much enjoyed every single second of this. I LOVE how Libba Bray just feeds us bits and pieces of the puzzle, it made trying to piece the whole thing together so fun and I'M STILL UNSURE WHAT TO THINK.
And I just LOVE how many different plots and subplots are tackled, it keeps it so interesting. the scope is truly impressive. I adored every.single.subplot. Mabel's story? LOVE! Memphis and Blind Bill? INCREDIBLE. Theta and Roy? AMAZING. Jericho at the mansion? ENTHRALLING.
This book shattered my emotions too many damn times. ESPECIALLY THE ROMANCE. and listen, I complain about book romances literally non-stop because they usually let me down. BUT THIS HAD ME SQUEALING LIKE A BABY. Seriously, everyone is too sweet and I want them to be happy. I literally said (screamed) "oh my goodddd they're so cuteeeeee in my car while listening to this AND THAT SAYS A LOT. I love these romances and that makes me so happy because I never do!
One thing I really loved as well as the SEX SCENES. Which I guess is a weird thing to pick out, but they were just written so, so well. They were so tender and sweet, and kind of awkward but in a good, realistic way. And I just think they were done so well. I'm gonna cry thinking about it.
Okay, but can we also talk about how CREEPY THIS IS. The basement scene??? ruined my life. The scene where you know who appeared to them. Ruined my life again. Libba Bray needs to, stop. FINALLY, WHY IS THIS BOOK SO DEVASTATING. Okay, I damn yelled/whined NOOO when something happened and oh my god, this book seriously destroyed my entire soul like fifty times I'm so upset. AND CONCERNED FOR BOOK FOUR. SO CONCERNED.
“If I have to look through one more of these, I’m throwing myself off that balcony,” he moaned. “Let me know if you need help,” Jericho said.”
Okay, I'm sorry this is so rambly. I'm so emotional I love my kids so much. And I'm literally desperate for book four (@LibbaBray if you're reading this .... DM me how much cash for the book 4 draft ... I'll send it)
ANYWAY I MADE A POST WITH THEORIES FOR BOOK FOUR SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT CLICK HERE...more
With her smudged eyes and her dainty red Cupid’s bow lips, she reminded Sam of a sparkling party favor on the cusp of New Year’s. “Evie,” he said,
With her smudged eyes and her dainty red Cupid’s bow lips, she reminded Sam of a sparkling party favor on the cusp of New Year’s. “Evie,” he said, taking gentle hold of her hand. “The party can’t go on forever.”
Evie looked up at Sam, defiant but slightly pleading, too. Her voice was nearly a whisper. “Why not?”
i am absolutely, positutely in love with this series I have The Diviners a glowing five star review, so if you want to know more about the series overall you should read that as THIS REVIEW is gonna mostly be about this specific book.
“Besides, things you loved deeply could be lost in a second, and then there was no filling the hole left inside you. So she lived in the moment, as if her life were one long party that never had to stop as long as she kept the good times going.”
LAIR OF DREAMS begins a few months after The Diviners. Evie has become a radio sensation (The Sweetheart Seer) after her abilities become public. Sam is continuing to chase down the project buffalo lead, a lead which is progressively heading into darker and more dangerous paths. Meanwhile, a sleeping sickness is spreading throughout the city and Henry, along with a girl called Ling who can walk in dreams, may be the cure to curing it.
so I didn't love this AS MUCH as The Diviners but I still really loved it. Lair of Dreams is on a much smaller scale than The Diviners, and that scaling down it what worked against it, in my opinion. I also think too much of this book felt like the first 100 pages, by that I mean it felt like we were just getting into things instead of INTO things for way too long.
But the character work was beyond good. This book follows Ling, the girl from Chinatown we briefly met in The Diviners, as well as Henry, Theta and Sam so much more closely and I LOVED getting to know these characters.
Ling is probably the standout character of this book, because she's the one introduced and developed most. She's the daughter of Chinese immigrants, with a disability, who can walk in people's dreams and see the dead in her dreams and oh my god .. I love her? She's adorable, hilarious and her friendship with Henry was too pure for words.
Henry had a lot of his backstory explained and uhh ... my heart is beyond broken. I love my sweet boy he deserves the world.
“For dreams, too, are ghosts, desires chased in sleep, gone by morning. The longing of dreams draws the dead, and this city holds many dreams.”
One thing I adore about these book is the amount of plots and subplots which are woven together into a larger tapestry. There's diviners, government conspiracies, the occult and supernatural, shadowmen, missing persons and ghosts. And so much more. And Libba Bray weaves it all together so well, and in such a clever way, and it keeps me constantly engaged. I genuinely have no idea where this is going next and I love it.
The setting is also done so well. Libba Bray explores ALL of the roaring 20's, putting away her rose-tainted glass to address the awful bits too. The resurgence of Eugenics and the Ku Klux Klan plays a large role in this, as does socialism and the union fights, government corruption, poverty and the increasing gap between the rich and the poor. This book is so interesting and honestly educating in how it tells the story of the time period too and I love that.
FINALLY, we need to talk about how CREEPY this is. Between ghosts hysterically screaming DREAM WITH ME, actual demon murderers, dead people coming back and being creepy and horror flashbacks into the past I am significantly SPOOKED. The audiobook narrator January Lavoy does such an amazing job at really emphasising the horror aspects and honestly it makes it so much more enjoyable !
“They wish, too, that they could warn them about the gray man in the stovepipe hat, about the King of Crows. For not all ghosts remember, and the citizens have need of warning.”
Anyway to sum up. •I love this series way too much •I would put my life on the line for any and all diviners • I have the spooks, because this is terrifying • I CAN'T BELIEVE LIBBA BRAY MADE ME INVEST IN A LOVE TRAINGLE UNBELIEVABLE
EVERYONE READ THE DIVINERS. THANKS AND GOODNIGHT...more
"People with secrets shouldn't make enemies. People with destinies shouldn't make plans."
why can't I just have straight forward thoughts about book
"People with secrets shouldn't make enemies. People with destinies shouldn't make plans."
why can't I just have straight forward thoughts about books? because oh my god reading this series was such a roller coaster. You may remember I hated book one and gave it a two star rating. But then I loved book two and gave it a five star. So I already have mixed feelings on this series, but I expected to like book three a lot and I just ... didn't.
look I think there's a problem when everything is solved over 100 pages before the ending of the book. And this book felt entirely too easy for the situation they were in. I felt like the entire build up and the suspense around the evil figure was kind of cheapened by how EASY this book was. So lets break it down.
🌙 characters and worldbuilding 🌙
One thing about this book (and this series) I cannot fault is the characters and worldbuilding. Lets get this major positive out the way first. the characters are so well fleshed out and loveable I adore all of them. I think Laini Taylor did such an excellent job at creating compelling heroes you want to root for, and villains you can sympathise with, and ultimately characters who's redemption you're 100% on board for.
There is absolutely no black and white in this series which is so great ! because it allows all the characters to be explored so thoroughly and with so much nuance. And ultimately it led to my heart getting broken over and over (in a good way) by these characters and their development. I had no idea how attached I would become Akiva and Liraz and Ziri especially, but that Laini COULD get me to love them so much is a huge testament to this series.
I also think the worldbuilding is incredibly well done and so interesting. The war between the Chimaera and the angels is so well fleshed out, and their different locations are beautiful and interesting. Aspects of the world like the way magic worked, the underground caves, the resurrection and the interaction between different worlds was, to me, endlessly fascinating and remained so even in this series low points.
The wrap-up of the character arcs, the romance, and the character interactions were the things that I felt were done BEST in this book.
🌙 rising action and plot 🌙
So book two had a massive set up where was a plot twist and a half, a huge cliffhaner, and massive book three plot potential. I really feel like laini taylor didn't capitalise off of her massive set up I mean, when everything is wrapped up 100 pages before the end THAT IS AN ISSUE. Book three starts with this massive anticipatory moment, I'm expecting a big battle and an intense book but nothing really happens and that is a big problem. When the villain essentially goes away in one chapter, that's a problem.
I don't do a two book set up full of rising action, full of setting up this big baddie, full of anticipation and looming doom just to have the villain done and dealt with in the span of 10 pages. It's a let down and it's BORING. And while I think it's interesting Laini Taylor took a new route in dealing with the villain, it wasn't interesting enough to abate my disappointment.
🌙 confusing extra stuff 🌙
Another issue I had with this was the random subplots thrown in toward the end I could have done .. without them. I think it just wasn't necessary and added so much confusion where there shouldn't been. The last 100 pages is to WRAP IT UP not to MAKE IT MORE COMPLICATED. I also think some plot lines were left a little hanging which was disappointing.
🌙 too happily ever after 🌙
I have an ISSUE with series ending and my issue is when there is no CONSEQUENCES. What is the point in establishing stakes, if there is no consequences? Sam from ThoughsOnTomes did a great video about series endings not following through on the stakes they set up and I agree SO MUCH. I feel like this book needed to like ... go further. It needed to do more. It needed to cut some losses and kill some darlings or SOMETHING.
Like, if you're gonna set up this hundred year war and set up that it's the final battle and people are gonna die and no one's ever tried to defeat this villain and this is the most dangerous thing I expect that there's gonna be some ..... consequences? You can't just let everyone live happily ever after after the ending of the hundred year war battle. WHERE'S THE CATASTROPHE??
🌙 in summary 🌙
For me this book was fine and it was enjoyable - especially character wise. BUT IT DIDN'T GO THERE SO IT WAS A LET DOWN. I felt for a 600+ page book .. not that much actually happened? and absolutely more time should have been dedicated to the villain and the war WE SPENT THREE BOOK PREPARING FOR
But the character stuff was soo good and the romance did make my cold dead heart warm a little. So that definitely upped my enjoyment of this series. I think the arcs definitely had satisfying conclusions in this book which redeemed this book a lot in my eyes. Also, true to Laini Taylor style there was some fucking good plot twists.
So for me this was a massive let down as a conclusion because it didn't take it far enough, and it felt like there was no consequences. But it was still not a total dumpfire thanks to the characters....more
“Naughty John, Naughty John, does his work with his apron on. Cuts your throat and takes your bones, sells ‘em off for a coupla stones.”
boy this
“Naughty John, Naughty John, does his work with his apron on. Cuts your throat and takes your bones, sells ‘em off for a coupla stones.”
boy this shit was so good !! i die !!. Everyone kept telling me this series was the cats meow and I JUST DIDN'T LISTEN. And I should have, it's positutely swell !!
(okay enough lingo references) but the first thing I LOVED about this book was the setting. It's set in 1920s America and boy that is just such a fun setting to play around in. And Libba Bray definitely has fun with it. The slang and lingo used and references could have felt oversaturated but for me they didn't. I honestly just think they immersed me in the setting so much more. I also like that setting wise, how different policies and rules affected different groups was also explored and Libba Bray showed both sides of things like gang wars and prohibition.
probably my favourite this about this book was the characters oh my godd I literally love them all. ESPECIALLY MEMPHIS MY SON.
👻 Evie is so fun and extra and I love her. How dare everyone call her annoying she's fun and energetic and sweet I loved following her. She's not a typical YA heroine in that she's extroverted, loves partying, doesn't take things as seriously as she should and is a bit of an attention seeker but honestly? Kind of related to her and really liked her. She's hilarious and cool and I don't care what anyone else has to say
👻 Memphis was my favourite because he was so sweet and nice. I loved his chapters and the plots revolving around him and his brother Isaiah. There's so much potential growth for his character and development of his plot which really excites me. ALSO HE IS SO NICE TO HIS BROTHER I LIVE. I love my soft boy. He's also black !
👻 Thata and Henry are interesting and I wish they were in it more. I liked when they did appear though. I loved their living situation and how they were such good friends. Thata is disabled and Henry is gay and it was cool to see that rep. I really hope they're in book 2 more
👻 Mabel and Sam weren't in it much either. I don't really have strong opinions on Mabel and think she needs to grow on me more. Sam was set up for something really interesting at the end which is nice, but I wasn't feeling him for a good part of the book.
👻 Jericho is the hardest character for me to grasp I don't know how I feel. I wasn't 100% into the romance situation and I found him a bit bland and boring honestly.
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I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book too. it was spooky and genuinely scary in parts. There was always a sense of tension and an undercurrent of scandal that I found kind of fun. You get the grimy parts of the underworld and streets contrasted with the exaggerated glamour of the partying and speakeasies which I found fun. And it did capture the same kind of aesthetic as The Great Gatsby which is one of my favourite books (especially aesthetically)
The audiobook narrator, January LaVoy also does a beyond incredible job at this. I can't even wrap my mind around how she made every single character sound so different and GOOD. Like, the narration is just astounding and I think it did add to my enjoyment of this book so much. I would never read this series any other way.
I am SO EXCITED to continue this series I just loved this opening book so much. It was spooky, with interesting characters placed in an awesome setting and i loved it.
“She was tired of being told how it was by this generation, who’d botched things so badly. They’d sold their children a pack of lies: God and country. Love your parents. All is fair. And then they’d sent those boys, her brother, off to fight a great monster of a war that maimed and killed and destroyed whatever was inside them. Still they lied, expecting her to mouth the words and play along. Well, she wouldn’t. She knew now that the world was a long way from fair. She knew the monsters were real.”
look I really wanted to like this it has such a high rating on goodreads and all my friends gave it five stars and I HONESTLY thought it would be a filook I really wanted to like this it has such a high rating on goodreads and all my friends gave it five stars and I HONESTLY thought it would be a five star read for me but, alas. I probably would have dnf'ed this if I didn't need it for Magical Readathon
what didn't work
• never got over how icky I felt over the age gap. When the characters meet they're 11 and 16, and from that first meeting they're 'destined' to be mates. Even though they don't start dating until their 17 and 23 (which I still think is weird lol) it just didn't sit right. ESPECIALLY since a large portion of the 'angst' from the first half is the 11-13 year old being upset the 16-18 year old is dating people who aren't him.... and honestly even when they're adult I still found the whole "you've always been mine since I was ten" WEIRD not CUTE
• as a result never invested in the main couple and investing in the main couple really is 90% of the point of this book
• Couldn't get into the writing. Some people said they found it lyrical but I just found a lot of it corny and overly repetitive. The humour also wasn't my kind of humour so the funny parts sometimes read cringy to me
• all the women characters exist to be fridged for the male angst/pain or to be emotional soundboards with no personality except to soothe and console the men when they feel angsty and need advice
• honestly just found the story boring and the plot doesn't even kick in till well over 50% through
what I did like
• good casual representation I LOVE how everyone is queer and all the queer relationships we get and how normal and chill it is. ownvoices representation • the found family elements and the focus on the love between family and friends • my boy carter • reminded me of a teen wolf episode
Honestly it's probably me not this book because it has a 4.5 rating but urgh, sadly this just did not work for me...more
"Look at me, is what I wanted to say to you. Talk to me every once in a while. Find me a cure for these tears, I'd really like to exhale for the fi
"Look at me, is what I wanted to say to you. Talk to me every once in a while. Find me a cure for these tears, I'd really like to exhale for the first time in my life"
OH GOD. In this house we love and support Juliette and want her to be happy, healthy and successful love urself sis
ANYWAY THE WRITING STYLE IS CAPTIVATING AND ENCHANTING AND BEAUTIFUL AND REALLY ELEVATES THIS BOOK INTO SOMETHING BETTER THEN JUST AN AVERAGE DYSTOPIAN AND ALSO I CAN JUST FEEL THE NEXT TWO ARE GONNA BE A WILD ROLLERCOASTER
I think it's soo interesting this is written as Juliette's journal because it allows for so much room for their to be things to be a little unclear and unreliable I literally LOVE unreliable narration
I READ THIS ENTIRE BOOK IN A 24 HOUR READATHON YEET
well this was totally freaking spooky and scary 👻 Ghost hunting, mansion hauntings, screaming staircases, murder and a trio of best friends? This boowell this was totally freaking spooky and scary 👻 Ghost hunting, mansion hauntings, screaming staircases, murder and a trio of best friends? This book really does have it all. All the Good Stuff
“Of the first few hauntings I investigated with Lockwood & Co. I intend to say little, in part to protect the identity of the victims, in part because of the gruesome nature of the incidents, but mainly because, in a variety of ingenious ways, we succeeded in messing them all up.”
I'm shocked you people all read this as children because some parts of this are genuinely terrifying. Don't know if it was the book itself, or the spooky voices the author put on to voice the ghosts, but I, for one, had the chills.
The Screaming Staircase is the first book in a ghost hunting series - we're introduced to The Problem, an invasion of ghosts and other ghoulies in London. Enter: The Agencies, companies run by adults that use children to investigate hauntings. Only children can sense ghosts and our protagonist Lucy Carlyle is particularly susceptible to hearing their voices. When she joins Lockwood & Co, the only independent Agency run by children in London, she has to help her new friends and colleagues Anthony Lockwood and George Cubbins investigate not only the murder of a young woman, but also the most haunted building in London. Their reputation as an agency is on the line, and so are their lives.
This book had so many elements I love, just in general but especially in middle grade. Strong friendships between the main characters, hilarious banter, and plenty of action. I listened to the whole middle of this book in one day because I was so drawn in by the action.
I think what I loved most though was the agency given to the children. Especially since this is middle grade, the focus on the children being capable and talented and not needing adults to interfere was my favourite. The focus on the plight of the children and how they were exploited by their agencies was one of my favourite themes of this book, and it's especially important considering this is middle grade.
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But I definitely think what was most memorable about this book was the characters. Lucy, George and Anthony are such fun protagonists to follow, and kind of reminded me of the Golden Trio. Each had a very unique voice and characteristics, and they were also quite fleshed out. Lucy especially was a fun female protagonist for me, she was so quick witted and talented!
Finally, the world building was very well done. Without being cumbersome the world was explained and there was so much interesting backstory and history, like the legendary Fitz's, or the development of the agencies, and how The Problem started at all. I think the worldbuilding was very detailed and complex, and managed to be so without feeling like it was all being dumped on me. Very well done.
Since I listened on audio, I should mention the narrator of the audiobook did an AWESOME job. The voices she used for each character were unique and easy to follow, plus the ghost voices were so spooky. I think she definitely managed to make it atmospheric and it was very easy to visualise which I liked.
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I will definitely continue this series, though I kinda wanna read one in physical form to see how everything is freakin spelt haha. But this series is definitely as fun and action packed as everyone said! The characters are great and I really want to follow their development and growth as a team, and to see those dynamics change and develop. Plus, the Anthony/Lucy ship must rise ?? This book just set up the whole series really nicely and I'm sure the books will get better and better
If you're looking for something a bit spooky with good worldbuilding, lots of action and characters who will actually make you laugh out loud go no further !...more
I had so many mixed thoughts coming into this, because there were some elements I knew I'd like (DARK ARTIFICES CHARACTERS APPEARING, MAGNUS & ALEC!) I had so many mixed thoughts coming into this, because there were some elements I knew I'd like (DARK ARTIFICES CHARACTERS APPEARING, MAGNUS & ALEC!) but also some elements I really knew I wouldn't
two massive unpopular opinions I have
1: sizzy is a shit couple 2: simon isn't that interesting of a character. I mean he's okay, but I don't like him that much either
Those elements did, kind of annoy me. But the other elements I knew I'd like I really liked so that kind of counter-balanced my salt.
“Why should we isolate people who are brave enough to try to become like us--who want to help people? Why should we treat them as if they're less than us, until they prove their worthiness or die? I won't do it.”
1) Welcome to the Shadowhunter Academy: 3 stars
I thought the first story was just okay. It was introductory so I guess it's hard to make it super super exciting but I did just kind of find it boring and meandering. Nothing really happened and it dragged on and seemed a little too info-dumpy.
2) The Lost Herondale: 3 stars This was interesting but since I've read lm/los and know what happens it was kind of underwhelming. I think it would have been more exciting if I'd read this before the dark artifices. But it was okay, I liked that Catarina got to be more prominent.
3) The Whitechapel Fiend: 3.5 stars I loved that Will and Tessa appeared and all the others from The Infernal Devices. I liked the relationship between Tessa and Cecily was developed and that this was about Jack the Ripper! It was overall pretty fun and interesting but something about it felt a little ... unsatisfying?
4) Nothing but Shadows: 4 stars Jamie was so interesting and this story got me so excited for The Last Hours. I loved seeing Will again, of course. I also loved the introduction of Matthew Fairchild and Christopher Lightwood. They were both really interesting and I can't wait to see more of them in Chain of Gold. Jamie being able to shape into a shadow is really wild to be honest and should be good to see that explored more too. Also Matthew and Jamie are cute parabatai
5) The Evil We Love: 2 stars Probably my least favourite of the novellas. I just found it boring, and I find Valentine boring now. WE GET IT. Also, the thing with Robert and Michael was so unnecessary ? There was a lot of homophobia which wasn't really addressed and I don't know this story just didn't sit right with me I didn't like it much.
6) Pale Kings and Princes: 3 stars The setting in Faerie, and it being about Mark and Helens parents was super appealing. The story of Andrew and Arthur was a little vague so it was nice it was set straight for me. The twist at the end had me shook. But this one also had a lot of Simon and Izzy which I obviously couldn't get into becayse I hate them lmao
7) Bitter of Tongue: 4 stars Really liked this one since it features Mark Blackthorn. I found this story the most emotional of them all. I liked reading this AFTER I had read lm/los because it shines such a different and kind of sad light on the characters. It got me super upset about Julian Blackthorn and how dirty he got did in all honesty. BuT ALSO IT MADE ME MADE KIERAN IS SUCH A RAT I HATE HIM.
8) The Fiery Trial: 3.5 stars SOBBING ON THE FLOOR. Love the Blackthorns so much love Emma love Jules love their family. I got super emo when Livvy came up might have shed a little tear. Was interesting to see them again as kids and see Jules taking on his role as parent. Also glad I read this one after Lady Midnight and Lord of Shadows because it let me see the Blackthorns in retrospect and that was nice.
9) Born to Endless Night: 5 stars Easily my favourite of the novellas. I love Alec and Magnus so much and how their characters have grown both as a couple and individually. Alec is my favourite character in The Mortal Instruments and his happiness means the world to me. I can't believe he gets to raise a family with the man of his life we are so blessed.
10) Angels Twice Descending: 3 stars I found this one kind of slow too but the ending left me super shooked and now I'm mad. I liked the description of the ascending ceremony since it's always been quite vague and it was good worlbuilding, and I liked the choices Simon made too. I am just mad about what happened at the end. Also way too much Sizzy.
A THREAD OF ME REACTING TO EACH CHARACTERS APPEARANCE Everytime Alec came up: [image]
Everytime a character from The Infernal Devices appeared [image]
Everytime a Blackthorn came up and I had to think about the injustice done to them [image] Everytime Sizzy came up: [image]
Me everytime a character said something racist [image]
Me when everyone started disrespecting Helen Blackthorn and Magnus Bane [image]
Me when they started talking about Raphael [image]
Anyway actual rating is 3.5 stars! I've read all of The Shadowhunter Chronicles now I feel accomplished and also pleased I can delete all the individually listed novellas from my tbr...more
This is a cute middle grade, I loved the friendship between Cassidy and her ghost best friend Jacob. Middle grades tend not to be my favourite (they'rThis is a cute middle grade, I loved the friendship between Cassidy and her ghost best friend Jacob. Middle grades tend not to be my favourite (they're not meant for me and I 100% get that) but I think I would have liked this a lot as a kid? Review to come...more
He brandished the book at her. "Was that a horse joke?" "Neigh." "Was that a horse joke?”
for me this book was just enjoyable it was definitely ligh
He brandished the book at her. "Was that a horse joke?" "Neigh." "Was that a horse joke?”
for me this book was just enjoyable it was definitely light and somewhat funny in parts, and the twist on history with the Edians was fun (even though it was a kind of awkward and unsubtle metaphor) but it wasn't AMAZING. I didn't really find it funny or clever enough to really really love it and honestly even though it's a historical comedy I kind of spent half the time wishing it was just a historical fiction. But there was definitely some scenes I really enjoyed (especially the ending chapters!) and it made me want to keep picking it up. I just feel like if I had found the humour or the silliness more funny I would have liked it more. So like I said: my opinion of this book essentially boils down to one point - it was enjoyable and easy reading, but it wasn't life changing or something I'd reread.
My Lady Jane is essentially a retelling of the events around Edwards Tudors death. Instead of Protestants and Catholics we're given Edians and Verities. Edian's are people who can transform into different animals and Verities are people who hate Edians. King Henry could turn into a lion, Jane's husband Gifford into a horse. And everyone else .. you gotta wait and see.
So yes this was definitely quirky and memorable because it was so unique. Which I definitely appreciated. I really liked the narration style and how the authors would occasionally butt in to interrupt the characters. Also, referencing some future things was funny - like Shakespeare, or the infamous "stretch to out your arms around a girl" tactic. I think this book had some really clever jokes which was cool and I liked all the hidden easter eggs.
Character wise, this book definitely did a good job at getting me invested in every single character. The main trio - Edward, Gifford and Jane, were all so loveable in their own ways. While they did each annoy me at times, it was all part of their GROWTH so it was okay. I also like how this book twisted the history around these characters a bit and changed things up, it kept me on my toes and unsure of if they would all be okay in the end. I think Edward was my favourite character just because he was such an awkward helpless bean and his character growth was great !!
“Because he was English and that’s what the English do under stress: they drink tea.”
Overall I did enjoy this book ! It was quirky and fun and had some clever jokes - it just wasn't AS FUNNY as I would have liked in a 500+ page book hence the 3 star rating. Three stars = "I liked it" you know. If you're unsure about this book, read the first few chapters. It sets up the tone and kind of humour you'll see throughout the whole book so you'll have a good understanding of what you're in for. Also, I will say the humour is Monty Python - esque if that helps situate you.
“Dedication:
For everyone who knows there was enough room for Leonardo DiCaprio on that door.
And for England. We’re really sorry for what we’re about to do to your history.”
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