I added this to my TBR months ago and then made the decision to preorder it maybe four or five months ago and then never looked at the synopsis again.I added this to my TBR months ago and then made the decision to preorder it maybe four or five months ago and then never looked at the synopsis again. All I could remember when I picked it up was that the hare on the cover was delightfully gruesome and that it was a retelling of Poe’s stories - and I think I vaguely remembered that it was the Usher one.
And honestly, I think that was the best way to enter the book.
The book starts off a bit slow. I wish there had been just a bit more gothic horror in the first half of the novel. A little more bumps in the night, and more this is spooky but I don’t know why. But the second half of the book was gruesome in a way I really wanted and ended also a way that felt satisfying. If you don’t like gore, you should be able to tell by the cover that this isn’t for you.
Merged review:
I added this to my TBR months ago and then made the decision to preorder it maybe four or five months ago and then never looked at the synopsis again. All I could remember when I picked it up was that the hare on the cover was delightfully gruesome and that it was a retelling of Poe’s stories - and I think I vaguely remembered that it was the Usher one.
And honestly, I think that was the best way to enter the book.
The book starts off a bit slow. I wish there had been just a bit more gothic horror in the first half of the novel. A little more bumps in the night, and more this is spooky but I don’t know why. But the second half of the book was gruesome in a way I really wanted and ended also a way that felt satisfying. If you don’t like gore, you should be able to tell by the cover that this isn’t for you....more
I just really didn’t like this one. It was kind of boring, not very many beautiful descriptions of the land, and I really didn’t like that aBahumbug.
I just really didn’t like this one. It was kind of boring, not very many beautiful descriptions of the land, and I really didn’t like that at one point it was a story within a story within a story. I honestly had to force myself to finish this one and was pretty disappointed that the final “battle” was a very short description of the outcome.
Overall, not terrible, but after the beginning 30-40 pages it was a bit of a bore.
Also there was a word in this edition that really should have been either not included or asterisked since this was published in 2018. ...more
This was my first book I ever fully annotated and I had such a great experience. I enjoyed this but I did feel really irritated by our main character This was my first book I ever fully annotated and I had such a great experience. I enjoyed this but I did feel really irritated by our main character who was pretty naïve and has that personality trait where they’re almost too good, which I dislike. Overall, there were some good quotes and I felt like the continuation from the original Maleficent movie was well done. ...more
This volume was just okay for me. There wasn’t anything super special in it and I felt like it was really just a prequel of sorts that didn’t have mucThis volume was just okay for me. There wasn’t anything super special in it and I felt like it was really just a prequel of sorts that didn’t have much to add to the story. ...more
I knew I wouldn’t like it as much as Night Swim, but this was still such a fun read. This was basically 50 First Dates but make it scary and I loved tI knew I wouldn’t like it as much as Night Swim, but this was still such a fun read. This was basically 50 First Dates but make it scary and I loved that. It was a neat concept and I felt like the murder and investigation were done well. I wasn’t a huge fan of jumping around in time but it worked well for the kind of story this was. ...more
I definitely caught onto some of the plot twists but overall the writing style, the mystery, and the characters made this such an interesting story. II definitely caught onto some of the plot twists but overall the writing style, the mystery, and the characters made this such an interesting story. It’s a ya bordering on na gothic mystery with a dash of romance that gets more involved about 75% in. ...more
It’s not bad. It’s just, maybe, a little unrealistic and just something is off about it to me. It’s just so weird to me thaI’m soft DNF’ing this one.
It’s not bad. It’s just, maybe, a little unrealistic and just something is off about it to me. It’s just so weird to me that these two adults have been “friends” for years and they’ve literally FaceTiming in their pajamas and drinking together and they’ve never dated? And now they’re “fake dating” and I’m somehow supposed to suspend my belief and just ignore how obvious it is that the guy likes her?? It’s just too obvious and at 35% we really should have progressed a bit more by now. I know it’s slow burn, but why? They know each other so well there should be a bit more maybe blushing or confusion and questioning about whether this person actually likes me?? ...more
Sorry but this is taking too long to get to something interesting happening. I said it before and I’ll say it again, I think I’m exiting myDNF page 62
Sorry but this is taking too long to get to something interesting happening. I said it before and I’ll say it again, I think I’m exiting my fantasy era and need to just move on. Could be the writing style since it is PACKED with words and nothing really happening and over describing. ...more
Such a beautiful book and I loved the prose. Also I loved the section at the end where the author explained the holidays more and even provided some rSuch a beautiful book and I loved the prose. Also I loved the section at the end where the author explained the holidays more and even provided some recipes.
Only thing is I wish they had provided dates for the holidays. ...more
This book ended up really surprising me. The beginning started off pretty slow, but in the end I think it paid off. The world building is establish4.5
This book ended up really surprising me. The beginning started off pretty slow, but in the end I think it paid off. The world building is established and our main character’s characterization in the beginning getting to really see a lot of her flaws and dreams instead of just be told really helped propel the story later on. And it became easy to feel sorry for or be happy and celebrate with her when something happened.
I wish the end had given us just a smidge more - I don’t know what - since I felt like something was missing that would push me over the edge to really give it the full five stars. ...more
This book was for me but it likely won’t be for everyone. At its core, it’s about a princess on a mission to save her sister from a prince via the norThis book was for me but it likely won’t be for everyone. At its core, it’s about a princess on a mission to save her sister from a prince via the normal ways the ya girlies choose: murder. But she knows that she isn’t strong enough to do this on her own so she enlists the help of a witch who tells her to do some impossible tasks.
Part of our cast of characters includes a dog made out of bones, a controlling puppet, and a demon chicken.
The book just feels like a fairy tale one that you’re slightly familiar with but isn’t too familiar that you get bored. ...more
I real loved the inclusion of poetry in this one, especially the more gothic and macabre poetry. We love a good muAnother good one from Alice Feeney.
I real loved the inclusion of poetry in this one, especially the more gothic and macabre poetry. We love a good murder mystery, and even though I don’t always enjoy an “expose the family secrets” type book, I think this one was actually quite interesting. ...more
I always say it feels wrong to rate a book that’s nonfiction especially memoirs and autobiographies. So I won’t provide a rating but I do have some crI always say it feels wrong to rate a book that’s nonfiction especially memoirs and autobiographies. So I won’t provide a rating but I do have some critiques based on the writing style.
First off, I want to say that the book did a pretty good job at showcasing how difficult it is for people needing government assistance to get it and also how the system doesn’t provide a whole lot of help as well as makes it extremely difficult to start getting off of the system. I think this was the strongest part in the book.
I also know that some people were critiquing essentially on the way Ms. Land chose to spend/use/save her money. There are a couple of times where she gets money and decides to make “unnecessary” purchases. I didn’t really have a problem with that since she’s only human and I myself have sometimes gone over my budget. And it’s easy to see how when you’re in such a poverty bind how when you finally have a little extra you may want to “treat yourself”. Which I think is completely normal.
My main issues, is that the author had a couple of times where she made it seem like she had the worst possible luck and no one was there to help her. I agree that sometimes her luck was pretty terrible, but I think she often forgot about all of the people who she asked for help and actually came to her aide. She mentions multiple times when she asked some of her ex boyfriends who she no longer was really in contact with to help, and they would come right over. Did she need to go out of her way to be sooooo thankful to them? No, but to make it sound like she had no assistance from anyone whatsoever when she really had quite a few people helping, and really just the government working against her. I think if she had concentrated the book on the contrast between the people helping her out and the government being a little b**ch to work with would have made a more compelling story.
Something else that kind of bugged me a bit was that she sometimes made it seem like she had the worst profession ever with the longest hours. At one point she even mentions something along the lines of that she worked 25 hours a week as a maid and couldn’t make ends meet. I think that line is definitely going to bother other people who have to work longer hours and maybe even more laborious work. I’m thinking contractors who normally work 35+ hours a week and much harder labor. I myself have a two degrees, a license and have to work over 40 hours a week and have trouble with the bills. Just taking that line out would have helped the story to something more “inspiring”. ...more
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