I want to preface my review by saying that I struggle with the OTTness of PNR, so my PNR reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. SO! Some discloI want to preface my review by saying that I struggle with the OTTness of PNR, so my PNR reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. SO! Some disclosures before we proceed, friends.
What I didn't like about this book were mostly things that are not specific to Burn For Me or even Ilona Andrews in general. They are tropes that are so ingrained into the PNR genre that I find them in just about every series (sad for me) and those are:
1. The OTT thirstiness of the heroines. Like JESUS LADIES YOU WANT HIM I G E T IT. I do not need constant details of all the thigh clenching that is going on. Nevada was very thirsty. So thirsty that there were many paragraph long monologues about Mad Rogan's rippling abs, bulging muscles and general hotness. These got very old very fast. I only need one solid description, babes. But alas, I feel like these kinds of descriptions come with the territory that is PNR.
2. Along with ballads to the hero's sexiness comes the inner struggle the heroines go through with perceived evilness vs. hotness. Like, come on authors. No person in their right mind would be all, "I know this person killed people but he is just so hot" "He just ripped someone's head off but, look at those bulging biceps". So, I'm really over these internal debates. You have the hots for a low-key homicidal maniac. Own it.
3. The "alphaness" of the heros. There is a very very fine line between hot, brooding, emotionally unavailable sex god and creepy, controlling, abusive stalker. PRN likes to flirt with this line a lot. Too much.
So, I feel like I can't really fault Ilona Andrews for writing the formula that most readers are expecting. These are just aspects of PNR that I don't like and therefore affect my rating for almost all PNR books. But I'm getting what I paid for, ya know? Okay, now that that has been disclosed. Onto Burn For Me specifics.
Any book written in first person is HARD FOR ME, and I internally cry every time I open a book and discover this POV. It took me almost half the book the warm up to Nevada. At the beginning I found her OTT and kind of annoying, very try hard and it just rubbed me me the wrong way. I felt the same about her family. It just seemed like that authors were trying too hard to make everyone eccentric and it just was not doing it for me. That being said, I did warm up to her in the end and found her quite funny and quirky. I liked that she stood her ground, for the most part. I wish her powers were cooler but I've been told to be patient.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked Mad Rogan. I wanted to stab my eyeballs out every time Nevada went into another 3 paragraph long rant about his physique, but as a character he was hot. One top of being swoony and arrogant and bad, he was funny and intelligent. I'm excited to see his personality develop in the next book and become more 3 dimensional. I feel like I don't really know much about him. Besides his lust for Nevada.
The romance would technically be considered a slow burn, but with Nevada's mind constantly tripping over Rogan's washboard abs and her evilness vs. hotness debate it didn't feel that way for me. So, I'm just going to say that the emotions at the end were too fast for me. Lust is not love! Also, I really did not understand why Nevada felt the need to constantly compare him to 1. A medieval knight/king and 2. a Dragon which she mostly compared him to. This made no sense to me. He does not have pyro-powers so like no?
I really liked the magic system. The categories of magic, along with the use of circles, gave it very witchy vibes. The understanding of the world/magic expands with reading, so I was definitely confused, and kind of still am, throughout the book but I have high hopes for the next one. While the plot was slow to start, but once it got going I had a blast. I liked being on a wild goose chase with Rogan and Nevada but the reason behind what was going on, at least in this book, was very typical evil villain and made me roll my eyes.
This was decent and enjoyable for me. If it weren't for the tropes that just don't work for me, the slow start and my slow warm up to Nevada this would have easily been four stars. I'm excited to get to the next ones because I've heard they get better and better. Another thing about PNR. I found that I really have to judge a the series overall as opposed to individual books, because good ones have a lot of character, world and plot development, and things change A LOT from beginning to end. Looking at you Guild Hunter Series....more
"My outfit might be retro, but my thinking isn't. Cross-dressing's only a problem if you think being like woman somehow makes a man less. And I've rea
"My outfit might be retro, but my thinking isn't. Cross-dressing's only a problem if you think being like woman somehow makes a man less. And I've read far too much Vogue to fall for that bullshit, thanks."
Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. This was most definitely my favorite book in the whole series. From the moment Ghost got page time in the first book I was intrigued. I had no idea what he was thinking, and it drove me crazy. I couldn't wait to get to his book and it did not disappoint. This is the first book I've read about a sex worker and man, it was heartbreaking and hard to read at times. Bell did such an amazing job exploring Ghost's character, his traumas, his defenses and way of thinking, all his facets and habits, even down to his body language. He was so fleshed out.
Even though this book showcased some severe and heavy trauma it had just enough wit and humor to soften the punches to the heart. Ghost was sarcastic AF and freaking f u n n y. I enjoyed him so much. His character development was brilliant. Kudos to Bell for her clear understanding of mental health and her willingness to not only go there, but to also cover the recovery as well. There were some really brilliant moments of mental health insight in this book.
"I had sex before and it tore me open. I have sex now and I don't feel a single thing about it. Tell me that's not progress."
And then there is Duncan. Who is as stable as Ghost is a hot, hot mess. V hot mess, ya'll. Understandably, but I digress. Duncan didn't shine as brightly as Ghost, that's for sure, but it didn't bother me one bit. It was rather perfect really. His character was so reassuring and a little in the background, but not in a bad way more in a always-has-your-back-but-let's-you-try-and-figure-shit-out-on-your-own-first way. His patience was incredible and I love how he just got Ghost. Their banter was hilarious and so fun, and their sweet moments were so emotionally intelligent and conscious of Ghost's trauma. They were perfect for each other.
"Since I can't tell if you're joking, I'm going to pretend you didn't say that." "Fair enough. I'm going to pretend you have a personality."
This plot was engaging and a blast, in all it's mobster glory. My BR partner in crime (Moons) and I kept talking about how we did not see how Ghost and Duncan were going to get out of this. As the ending to a series this book was great. It had to perfect mix of plot, relationship development, but also involvement of the other characters from past books. I think that is another reason I liked this one so much. Church and Tobias appeared in this the perfect amount and it was so fun to see them all together, how far they had all come. I also really loved how feminist this felt. Even though it's a romance series about gay men, there were a lot of powerful women in this which was awesome!
Overall, this was a strong series that explored different facets of mental health and how trauma affects people, especially people living with childhood trauma. Of and it was romantic, swoony AF and fun as well!...more
Okay, I defo think that this is an example of it not being the book and being me because everyone seemed to love this and yet... I did not hate it, orOkay, I defo think that this is an example of it not being the book and being me because everyone seemed to love this and yet... I did not hate it, or even dislike it, it just didn't stand out to me.
So *folds hands on knee*. I started out really enjoying this. I really liked Tobias' genuine personality (he's so kind), and Sullivan's humor. I enjoyed Tobais' development, it's SO hard learning to stand up to your family and for yourself, but then I felt like things started to taper off. This story is very character driven, which honestly is my favorite kinds of story, but for some reason I just didn't love the characters enough to... not get bored with the lack of plot. Or I guess the chosen plot?
Sullivan was seriously delightful and the kink was g o o d but I just felt like something was lacking.. and dragging a little.. I also wish that Bell would have deviled into the mental health aspect a little more for this one.
Something wasn't working for me and I just don't know what it was. Frustrating. I also wish that Church and Ghost (the friend group) would have been in this more. Friend dynamics are the best dynamics!
Once again, I'm not saying this was bad. I just liked the first one better. Though, this was a good (if less exciting) continuation of the overarching plot. ...more
Le sigh. I waited too long to review this so it's going to be short and sweet.
I really enjoyed this, especially Chruch. His head was fun3.5 S T A R S
Le sigh. I waited too long to review this so it's going to be short and sweet.
I really enjoyed this, especially Chruch. His head was fun to be instead. I really liked the set up of this whole series: the friend group (LOVE), the treatment center, the overarching plot.
Church and Miller's romance was a v slow, slow burn but was sweet. The plot was really fun, with mobsters and mischief and d r a m a. But not petty drama, but mobster and trying-to-do-the-right-thing drama which I lurve. Church's character development was really great, I loved seeing him learn to harness his anger. Miller was pretty stagnant throughout the story but, we can't all have life altering changes and I enjoyed his steadiness which complimented Church's short fuse nicely.
This would have been a four star for me but I just felt that... something was missing at the end. Plus Miller's push and pull went on a little too long for me.
The romance kind of ruined it for me. It was really fun and exciting in the first book, but got way too heavy handed in thHmmm... I liked this but...
The romance kind of ruined it for me. It was really fun and exciting in the first book, but got way too heavy handed in this one which really took away from the experience for me.
The plot was good but I spent most of the book cringing at how Krestel and Arin were falling all over themselves around each other. It was super trope-y and I just.. wasn’t into it.
I really LOVED Kestrel and Prince Verex’s friendship. It was awesome to see a completely platonic m/f friendship.
Arin went from swoon-y to real annoying and cringe-y so that was a shame.
I definitely think this is a “it’s not you, it’s me situation”. Like I said, the story and characters are good. The OTT romance just killed it for me. ...more
”Love is stupid. All we do is break one another’s hearts.
This book is stupid. All it did was break my heart.
My babies Cardan and Ju2.5 S T A R S
”Love is stupid. All we do is break one another’s hearts.
This book is stupid. All it did was break my heart.
My babies Cardan and Jude deserved so muchbetter than this.
I am so sad and disappointed by this book, I could cry a river of tears.
I know it sounds dramatic, but you have to understand that is one of my all time favorite series. It's in the top five category and Cardan is #2 book boyfriend of all time. Honestly, it's a little heartbreaking to know that this is the last I will get of this series, which started out so strong, and vicious and lovely and then completely fell apart in the end.
Jude, Jude, JUDE. I once thought she was one of the strongest and most badass female characters I've ever read in YA and yet in this book she read like a completely different character. This whole book felt like it was written by a completely different author to be honest. All that vivid, vicious, and cunning energy that I loved about Jude in the last books was completely absent from this one. She was so flat, her inner monologues were repetitive (to the point where I started skimming, something I NEVER thought I would do with these book), and she had absolutely no development. If anything she regressed. It's like time in the mortal world completely wiped out her personality and brain. I was so frustrated by her. She knows how the fae work, we know she knows. She knows how to riddle and duel and murder like the best of them, and yet she was bit of a bumbling lost lamb in this which was extremely out of character for her. It was low-key infuriating to see the same tricks as the last books and Jude somehow STILL falling for them. Does this girl not learn? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame of me, JUDE. So much could have been solved if she had just taken ONE SECOND to stop and think, to not let her anger make decisions. She also went all power hungry cray, cray again and like GIRL DIDN'T WE SEE HOW THIS DID NOT END WELL LAST TIME?!
Cardan was as delicious and delightful as ever. He was the best part of this book and of course did not get enough page time. I loved seeing his childhood and how the manipulations and misgivings of those around him shaped him and his craving for cruelty. It was also so, so nice to finally finally see the kind side of him. He has really developed throughout the series and I loved how he learned across the books, developing new outlooks and new skills. It was also so precious and adorable how he tired to bond with Jude. That being said, he still felt a little off to me. A little out of character. There was not enough of him and I was constantly frustrated by the amount of time him and Jude were apart, how many times they were interrupted or some other nonsense.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT POINT. THE USE OF MY MOST HATED TROPE. THE MISCOMMUNICATION TROPE. THE EVERYTHING-WOULD-BE-SOLVED-IF-YOU-WOULD-JUST-TALK-TO-EACH-OTHER-OH-MY-GOD TROPE. Sweet jesus. The double meanings were fun in the first book, and even the second but god, it was so frustrating to see the writing on the wall and yet JUDE WAS OBLIVIOUS. Clearly, a lot of my issues are with Jude. Cardan and Jude never seemed to be on the same page which was making me insane. There were a lot of missed opportunities for bonding and relationship development.
And so now onto one of the saddest parts of this whole book. The chemistry between Cardan and Jude. Which I barely felt. Once we got passed all the miscommunication bullshittery, and they maybe got a whole two seconds alone together the chemistry, which was a all consuming fire in the first two books, was a tiny sad, baby flame. What happened, Holly? *cries*. I guess Black just doesn't know how to write characters actually in a relationship? She's just good at the build up? Because wow, was this so unsatisfying. I didn't feel the sweetness of the words, I didn't swoon over declarations of love, I didn't highlight. (view spoiler)[Not only did we have to wait FOREVER AND A DAY for them to actually kiss when it happened it was just. Not great. And the sex scene. God. What an anti-climatic and lame scene. The scene in Cruel Prince when Cardan petted her ear was hotter than this. It would have been the perfect time for some intimate words, some relationship development. BUT NO. They didn't talk and it was over in like a paragraph. (hide spoiler)] I mostly repeated, "That's it?" sadly to myself.
Jude and Cardan just felt so off in this one. They didn't have their usual banter and slyness with eachother, and they never even discussed all the stuff that went down in the first two books. BIG THINGS. MURDER THINGS.
Cry, cry, my heart is very sad. I could throw tea at my computer all night about how disappointed I am about the character and relationship development in this book, so it's best to move on to other things. Of which I also didn't like.
The "plot" was um, a clusterfuck. Sure it was entertaining and enjoyable at first, but it seemed that Black didn't really have an overall plot so she tired to piece together all these different side plots that really didn't matter. It was also so predictable. I predicted every single thing, whereas in the first two books I was constantly shook. The plot was not complex and lacked the edge of your seat scheming of the first two. It tried to be an adventure plot...? But it didn't work. There was a lot of extra stuff involving side characters which felt so unnecessary and like a waste of pages. A lot of stuff was just swept under the rug and not really concluded. (view spoiler)[ AKA no one dying and Taryn just being forgiven even though she spent two books betraying Jude. AND WHO CARES ABOUT HEATHER AND VIVI! THEIR PAGE TIME TOOK AWAY FROM CARDAN AND JUDE! (hide spoiler)] She focused too much on the wrong things and not enough of the right and it just... made me sad.
The world expanded but the map, nor the explanation of the world or how it worked did. It was fine when we remained in the confide area of Elfhame, but there wasn't really a foundation of the world to expand passed that. I didn't even realize that Elfhame was the name of one kingdom until a friend told me. There are multiple kingdoms? How does that work? Where are they? Where did the Court of Teeth come from? Where do they live? Why have we never heard of them?! SO MANY QUESTIONS. (view spoiler)[IS JUDE MAGIC? CAN SHE CONTROL THE LAND?! IS SHE SOME WEIRD HYRBID?! (hide spoiler)]. Black is great with the culture and politics of the fae but the magic systems and world... not so much... Also, no one was vicious which was one of my favorite things about this book. The viciousness and the schemes. Big WTF about that.
The pacing was real slow at the beginning and then way too fast. Everything just felt way too rushed, thrown together and random. I so so badly wish that Black would have added those extra pages needed to better develop everything. Especially, especially Jude and Cardan and their relationship.
This was really all over the place and a mess. The writing didn't even escape the drop in quality. No longer whimsical, nor lyrical, I didn't highlight a single line.
*The saddest sigh of all time*
Maybe a miracle will happen and one day I'll reread The Queen of Nothing and say that this review is all wrong.
A girl can dream.
I honestly don't know how to rate this. I'm sad this incredible series is over and I'm sad it didn't end incredibly. I'm still processing....more
I loved the accents that the narrator did. It made it easy to distinguish the different races of people, different characters, I really enjoyed this!
I loved the accents that the narrator did. It made it easy to distinguish the different races of people, different characters, etc.
Krestel was a surprisingly badass heroine. Given when this was written I thought she would be a bit of a wet blanket but she was super cunning and quick witted. I loved her scheming and confidence. Arin was swoony and v typical book boyfriend, not that that’s a bad thing.
The plot was fast paced and twisty. I liked that this had an element of Gods without it really being fantasy, and more like historical based?
I just... cannot believe how crazy rich these people are. 2 million dollar dresses. Earrings that cost as much as a house. And then they all go on andI just... cannot believe how crazy rich these people are. 2 million dollar dresses. Earrings that cost as much as a house. And then they all go on and on about how they aren't made of money.
Bitch, please.
This was a fun and entertaining listen. I really enjoyed the narrator, her voice was very pleasant and her accents and inflections made everything so fun and distinctive.
I liked Rachel as an MC though sometimes I was like, "DID THE DIAMONDS MAKE YOU BLIND?! CLEARLY NICK IS R I C H!". Her air-headedness about him having, alllllll the money annoyed me a little, but that aside she handled every thing so well when I would have burst into tears and locked myself away for an eternity. It was different reading such a mature and levelheaded character.
Nick was charming, but I couldn't get over how oblivious he was. How does one grow up in a den of vipers and not realize it?! And to not warn Racheal, to think his life was "ordinary" was beyond ridiculous. Your cousin is wearing the cost of a house on her ears, honey.
I wouldn't really call this a romance, it's more of story of different people who all glitter in the same social group. It was interesting and dramatic, a definitely enjoyable escape from mundane average income life. ...more
I didn't hate this but I did hate Shaun, and was bored a lot of the time.
After the ending of the last book I thought that this one would pick up a loI didn't hate this but I did hate Shaun, and was bored a lot of the time.
After the ending of the last book I thought that this one would pick up a lot, but it was mostly dull. Shaun was a huge dick, and while the other characters were fine I didn't really care about them. I thought the plot was really slow moving. After finishing the 10hr+ audiobook I still feel like not much had happened, and while I was listening I always had that "hurry up and wait" feeling.
Another HUGE feeling I was getting throughout were some majorrrrrrrr VC Andrews incestuous undertones. While listening to the first book I couldn't help myself from occasionally pausing and thinking, "Am I going crazy or... do they love each other too much? This seems weird". And then I would say the same thing to a friend who has already read these books and she would just laugh at me. After the ending of the first book I thought the VC Andrews gaslighting was going to come to an end but SURPRISE it does not. Really the only thing keeping me engaged in these books is trying to figure out what the helllll is going on between these siblings and if I need to get my mind out of the incestuous gutter or if these weird vibes I've been picking up on are true.
And so. Here I am. Not much impressed with this series but also plagued by this brother/sister love mystery. What I was really looking for with these books was a zombie adventure and I'm not really getting that. I had decided to give up on the series until that last damn scene. Now I really don't know what to do....more
“Wicked are the ways of women—and especially a witch. Their guile knows no bounds.”
Moral of this story? Um, don't fuck with women. Ya hear?
What re
“Wicked are the ways of women—and especially a witch. Their guile knows no bounds.”
Moral of this story? Um, don't fuck with women. Ya hear?
What really stood out to me about this book, and made it stand apart from all the other witchy books out there, wasn’t the gray and witchy atmosphere, or the creative and earthy magic system, the strong female MC, nor the swoony book boyfriend or vibrant secondary characters – all of which were marvelous. What stood out was the oppression of women, as well as the message of empowerment of them, of the strong bonds women forge with one another, but also how we can hurt one another, how we need to look out for each other. These messages were so strong in this book, so deeply woven into the plot and religious perspectives. At the began not only is it huntsman vs. witch, God vs. pagan Goddess, but it’s so clearly man vs. woman. As the story progresses those hard outlooks on life, what/who is evil, etc., begin to shift and I’m so intrigued to see where this story, and these messages will go.
“I never said it was your god. Your god hates women. We were an afterthought.”
Serpent & Dove is all about women and I am here for it.
Speaking of women. I loved Lou and Coco so much. I loved Ried and Ansel as well, but Lou and Coco, and their friendship really shined in this. I loved all the characters, goodies, baddies, huntsmen and witches alike. They were all fleshed out and I could picture them vividly in my mind. The romance was lovely, and the friendships were tight. Lou and Coco’s friendship made my heart sing. I don’t know why it’s so hard to find a strong, healthy female friendship in YA but it is, and the one between Lou and Coco was such a delight.
This next point might be considered a little bit of a spoiler so skip it if you would like.
I really want to praise Mahruin’s bravery in including an on the page sex scene in a YA novel. AND not only on the page, but a scene that is led by the girl. There is such a negative stigma about writing sex scenes in YA, it’s almost taboo really, but the truth of the matter is the teens are having sex and sadly many of them are not educated about it. Obviously, I’m not saying that every book should have a on the page sex scene but if it’s appropriate for the targeted audience, this one is so clearly targeted to older teens/young adults, I think it can be a really good thing. It’s an opportunity to show readers a healthy and consensual experience. I’m going to stop now because I could go on about how important I think this is forever, but yeah, I thought this scene was really well done.
Serpent & Dove had all the elements to be a five star read for me: magic, witches, a badass/take no shit female lead, a great/strong female friendship, a swoony book boyfriend, adorably lovable side characters, a strong message of female empowerment and did I mention witches? What the four stars came down to was pacing. This started out SO strong, laid all the right foundation, had great world-building, laughs and intense moments and also finished so strongly, characters development, romance, friendship and scheming but the middle fell a little flat for me. I feel like more could have/should have happened there. More magic, more moments with Coco, more scheming? It wasn't bad, don't get me wrong, the beginning and the end were just so strong that I think the middle could have been stronger as well. Also, a map. I would have really loved and appreciated a map. This seems like the kind of book that needs a map. I definitely wanted one. A map, a map, I want a map.
That being said, this was a fabulous debut. I can't wait for the next one. (view spoiler)[ I don't know about you guys but how cool would it be if Coco's POV was added. I mean, we are going to her coven so it's a possibility. And then on top of that my Coco and Ansel ship sails because I want that so badly! (hide spoiler)]
“I was no one's sacrifice. Not then. Not now. Not ever.”
I thought this was going to be spookier than it was. It was more of a... mystery than something "scary". This wasn't bad, but it didn't s2.5 S T A R S
I thought this was going to be spookier than it was. It was more of a... mystery than something "scary". This wasn't bad, but it didn't stand out amongst King's other books.
I wouldn't say it's a "must read".
....... That's it.....
OH WAIT. James Franco as a narrator is LOL hilarious, but not in a good way. I thought he was fine until I realized that he was using the same voice and accent for two different characters. One of whcih was supposed to be Vietnamese but I spent almost the whole book thinking he was Russian. ...more
I am s h o o k e t h about how this ended. Like, damn. She really came for us like that.
Feed isn't quite what I was3.5 S T A R S
WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED.
I am s h o o k e t h about how this ended. Like, damn. She really came for us like that.
Feed isn't quite what I was expecting when I started up this audio. What I was hoping for was a creepy, fast-paced zombie riddled horror story of survival, while this is more of a investigative/mystery that happens in a world that has been living with zombies for the last 20 years. Now, let me just say that by no means was this bad, I actually really enjoyed it, it was just different than I thought so I wanted to throw that out there for anyone whose playing with the idea of starting this series. Which you should because it's entertaining and fun.
The story rotates between the POVs of three MCs, Georgia, Shaun and Buffy, who work together on a news blog in the zombie nation of the United States. I really enjoyed all of the MCs, with their different focuses, skill sets and personalities they were really different from one another which made them fun to read/listen to, but also made them really fun as a group. While I really enjoyed them, I'm sad to say that I didn't entirely connect with these characters. I was nervous and scared for them, I never felt an overwhelming emotional attachment to them. Just a little one. Enough to gasp and give the side-eye when certain things happened but that's about it. Also, A L S O. The brother/sister relationship made me really uncomfortable at times because there was this weird incestuous vibes. Like, they loved each other a little too much.
The world was really interesting and something that I could easily see happening. The explanation for the cause, and spread, of zombiefication was really scientific and believable. The more I think about this book this more it reads to me as a Michael Crichton-esque sci-fi than a Stephen King horror. All the different gadgets and adjusted ways of living were super fun to read about. I wouldn't describe the pacing as fast but nor is it slow, it's one of those books where the world and explanations open up more the more you read, which I though fit perfectly for the atmosphere of the book, which in the end is a mystery as opposed to a horror novel.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. I was entertained and engaged the whole time and shocked at the plot twists. I will definitely be reading on!
A U D I O B O O K This is dual narration and I liked both the male and female narrators. Their different accents were really great and they did a fantastic job of changing their voices to fit different characters. Would def recommend the audio....more
It's like I'm seeing his yummy chocolate eyes for the first time.
[image]
Technically I haven't finished this yet, but what I have done1.5 S T A R S
It's like I'm seeing his yummy chocolate eyes for the first time.
[image]
Technically I haven't finished this yet, but what I have done is bump this audio up to 1.5 (the fastest I've ever gone) and decided that I hate this.
I honestly don't know what exactly this book is supposed to be, but it's definitely not the badass alien invasion story I was hoping for. It's really just a clusterfuckkkk.
So, plot. L O L. There is none. Pretty much the whole of this book is divided between Cassey and Evan cuddling in bed, being really insta-lovey and gross, and then some half-assed military boot camp plot with Ben. Really n o t h i n g happens and the little bit that does is poorly written and boring. The more I think about it the more this reminds me of a B movie scifi or horror movie, and not the fun campy kind. The concept is really a fun one, just really badly executed.
The character development is none existent and every character is two dimensional. They're all standard editions. No one is quirky, or broody, or nerdy. They are all carbon copies of each other with different names and coloring. I found Cassey really annoying and Evan and Ben beige and pretty much the same character.
The insta-love is seriously so bad that I looked up the publication date and went, "Ah, 2013. Yep, that's about right.". It's soooo sticky, sweet and made me cringe on more that a few occasions. ALSO CASSEY CONSTANTLY SAYING THAT EVAN HAS BEEN "IN" HER Is GROSS AND CREEPY. We aren't talking sex people. I honestly don't even get what she is playing at but she just goes on and on about how he has been "in her".
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AND THEN, this is about to be a spoiler so if you want to read this series (you really shouldn't) LOOK A W A Y. AND THEN EVAN RUNS OFF TO SAVE THE DAY AND AFTER FIVE MINUTES OF MEETING UP WITH BEN, AT THE VERY END, CASSEY IS FALLING ALL OVER HERSELF AND LIKE, "WHO DO I LOVE MORE???".
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The writing in unimpressive and basic, ending is ABURPT AS FUCK and everything is garbage.
Well, I think it's no secret that Raphael and Elena's books are my least favorite. Always have been and, sadly, I think they always will 3.5 S T A R S
Well, I think it's no secret that Raphael and Elena's books are my least favorite. Always have been and, sadly, I think they always will be. Lucky for me they are the main couple in this series...more
This started out sooo spooky. I actually had to stop listening to it because it freaked me out so much.
Like, I already hated closets but I hated themThis started out sooo spooky. I actually had to stop listening to it because it freaked me out so much.
Like, I already hated closets but I hated them a lot more at the start of this book.
Then I don't know what happened... About half-way I started to get bored and it never regained my interest. It got less spooky and more classic thriller when really I was looking for a horror ghost story.
This wasn't bad, I'm just disappointed in the route it took....more
As I read more and more thrillers/spooky books the gems become few and far between, so I also feel like doing Me while listening to this book: [image]
As I read more and more thrillers/spooky books the gems become few and far between, so I also feel like doing a little happy dance when I finally find one I enjoyed.
I've been wanting to watch this movie foreverrrrr, but being the bookworm that I am I needed to read the book first. Actually, funny thing, my littlest brother read this book a few years ago and I remember him telling me about how scary it was.
ANYWAYS, I'm getting sidetracked. I'm honestly surprised by how good this way. I definitely thought the hype would kill it but nopeee, super creepy and pageturner-y (well, would have been if I wasn't listening).
What's really unique about this book is how small the world is. The characters cannot go outside without blindfolds and therefore neither can the reader, as Malorie ventures out into the world with her children's ears as her guide so does the reader, as Malorie gets freaked about stumbling around the world blind while creatures roam around so does the reader AKA yours truly. And although the world was small it was so vibrant and packed full of detail. I know, seems like it doesnt make sense but it does.
Plot was fast-paced and intriguing, characters were interesting. Yep, yep, good.
A U D I O B O O K I am so peaky about Audios and this one was really good. I loved the narrator. Her voice was really soothing and she killed it with the emotions.
Wow, this is my first review back since traveling and I AM R U S T Y. This review is awful but whatever, read this book. It's awesome....more
While I love Nalini’s Psy-changeling series overall each individual book is really hit or miss for me. Some I absolutely ADORE (3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 1While I love Nalini’s Psy-changeling series overall each individual book is really hit or miss for me. Some I absolutely ADORE (3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14) some, would 100% reread them a million times, and some are okay or meh. I love the world so much (it’s really unique and creative), the cast of characters, the overarching plot, interactions, etc,. But some characters I just don’t vibe with. After taking a long break (I pretty much demolished this series to get to my BB Vasic who is book #14) I am so happy to be back in this world!
That being said, Zaira and Aden didn’t really wow me. They never really drew my attention when they popped up throughout the series (once again unlike my bb Vasic who from his first appearance wayyy back in the first books I was like “WHO IS THAT AND WHERE IS HIS BOOK!?) and I was more interested in the overall plot of this book than their relationship. Which I’m going to be honest felt a little too sugary and a little too fast. I honestly don’t know WHY these books are so back and forth. Some the relationship developments are so good and others I’m like “oh yeah, she used to be a harlequin writer. I see that here”. So yeah, that was the case with this one. Not the best but not the worst.
The plot was fun and interesting, a great set up for the next arc, but I wish we had got to see more of the baby/teenage Arrows. I would kill for a scene of the juveniles and the teen Arrows hanging out.
Overall this was fine. Aden and Zaira getting a book was 100% necessary for moving the plot forward, especially for creating a new life for the Arrows. But, I won’t be rereading.
Welp, ONTO THE NEXT ONE. In true Hayley fashion I’m demolishing so I can get to a certain book (Wolf’s Rain), which is my MO for this series....more
Am I humming "Summer Nights" while I write this review? Possibly. Yes.
Only Mostly Devastated is a story about two boys who spend the summer falling inAm I humming "Summer Nights" while I write this review? Possibly. Yes.
Only Mostly Devastated is a story about two boys who spend the summer falling in love only to have to say goodbye at the end of it all. But wait. SURPRISE! Ollie shows up as the new student at Will's school. Whoops.
Cue drama. Cue romance. Cue SUMMER NIGHTS.
Let me just start off by saying that, although I tried to lower them, my excitement and expectations for this book were very high. I mean look at that cover and that blurb! How could my expectations not be high! While this read was enjoyable and cute it, didn't quite do it for me like I was hoping.
Ollie was a joy to read. He was sassy and melodramatic, but in the ridiculously hilarious way all teenagers think that the world is going to end because they have a pimple (*whispers* I was said teenager). I loved Sophie Gonzales uses of italics as emphasis. I don't see a lot of authors do that and it really helped me hear the character's voices and their tones. While Ollie's inner monologues were fun I do think at times they were a little... much. So many jokes that it got a little repetitive. Will on the other hand was pretty flat to me. After reading 279 pages I still don't really feel like I know his personality let alone what he looks like, and I really like to know what characters look like.
I did really love the importance Sophie placed on family. The world today is so individualist and what can people do for you that it was nice to read about a family who dropped everything to be there for each other. I loved that Ollie was not once upset about the sacrifices he had to make to help out.
I read this book, and enjoyed it, but I wasn't consumed by it. The secondary characters were quirky and fun, but things just seemed a little flat. Surface level. It didn't give me the feels I was hoping for. It didn't stand out. I don't know something was just missing. Things happened but also nothing really happened? The foundation was there, and while it was a good one, there just needed to be more depth and sparkle.
In the end this was a quick, lighthearted read that's perfect for a beach day or a day laying in the park.
I really do think Sophie Gonzales has a lot of potential and I'm excited to see what she comes up with next.
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for honest review. Thank you!...more
2020 UPDATE: I loved this just as much, if not more, the second time around.
It wasn't that she wanted to burn the world down, no. She
4.5 S T A R S
2020 UPDATE: I loved this just as much, if not more, the second time around.
It wasn't that she wanted to burn the world down, no. She just wanted the world to know that she could.
Well, well, well, well...
That's the only way I can think of starting this review because my brain cannot get over how good this was. I went into this pretty high expectations and somehow I am still shookth about how good it was?
Where to start, where to start.
First and foremost the world. OMG the world is one of my favorites. A world that is gothic, and eerie, and revolves around a plague and different castes is a bookish dream for me, BUT then Owens takes it one step further by adding a magic system that is just as strange and haunting as the world in which it exists.
So then let's continue to the point that I really don't like traveling books. Almost any book I've read where the whole book is spent getting from point A to point B bores me. Hey, hello, here is the exception. Traveling through Sabor with Fie and her family of crows was so much fun. I loved their banter and learning about the world as I walked with Fie and her flock down the roads of Sabor, stopping at plague beckons and collecting bodies along the way. It kept certain aspects about the world mysterious without leaving me feeling confused or like I was drowning in information.
And you know, I've been told that three is a crowd but Vasya and Jude are going to need to MOVE OVER because Fie is officially one of my new all-time fave females. This girl is Bad. Ass. BAD. ASS. She's smart and snarky af, and cares so much for her family and her people. Girl is not doormat, let me tell you. She was so fun and complex. I loved her.
I loved all the characters. There wasn't a single one that I thought was lacking, and a few that had some complexity I was surprised by. The representation and diversity in this were amazing, but what was so much better was how casual it was. Preferred pronouns were respectfully woven into the writing and sexual orientation was addressed through mundane conversation.
The characters were just who they were and that was that.
The writing was so vivid. I haven't read a book that had little quirks, like bits of it's own language, in a long time. Honestly, I'm not sure if I've ever really read a book that was written quite like this one. The way of speaking, and use of slang, was really immersive and different. I really loved this. It was the perfect mix of creepy, adventure, political intrigue and romance, all existing in an awesome world and around a band of outcasts who are forever being hunted.
Can't wait for the next one. I need it like, yesterday.
"There's been a misunderstanding." Jasimir jerked the dagger free. "I'd have sworn that prince is dead."
Hayley ☾ (TheVillainousReader)
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Books:
2019
(41)
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