This book was surprisingly good. I mostly got it because the cover looked nice and I was in the mood for a creepy castle mystery, but I wasn't expectiThis book was surprisingly good. I mostly got it because the cover looked nice and I was in the mood for a creepy castle mystery, but I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. I did think the climax came a bit late in the book, which I didn't like. I think it was a good idea though, because then you have a better connection with the characters, and you grow to love them and their relationships. So when something sad or dramatic or scary happens, you have this bond that makes you really feel something for the characters. I didn't love it because there was a lot of waiting, but I can see how it was also a good thing. I definitely was not expecting the ending either. (view spoiler)[I was rooting for a Henri endgame but the little like, thruple that Emile wanted to have?? Very uncalled for. I kind of want a sequel or a little novella online or something just so I can know how that relationship went for them. I didn't like Emile and how he's probably going to end up being the, center of attention in the relationship. Both Bram and Henri are going to want to spend time with him, and I think that would end in Emile having a bigger ego than he does now. Moving on. So the tension??!! It was so thick throughout the whole story and I was anticipating something that never came. Small kisses happened that only increased the tension, but you just have to infer what happens after. It's more of an open-ended ending. I also felt that the fact that basically everyone is a werewolf at the end was kind of tacky. And the idea of werewolves I feel I always associate with Twilight or something, which kind of gives this cheesy image, so I think just the topic of werewolves took off a star for me. But without werewolves the story could not go on. (hide spoiler)] I also felt the plotline was very predictable for 2 reasons: 1, the blurb on the cover of the story basically gave away everything, and 2, the "subtle" signs the author tried to give just gave everything away, as did the small symbols on the cover. I also felt Emile was one of those characters who makes the stupidest decisions or says the dumbest most self-absorbed things and you can still love him for some reason. And Bram I didn't like because he was almost too caring and the tension between him and Emile kind of dried out towards the middle. And he was always making sure Emile was looking out for himself too, which made it seem like Emile only ever thought about others, which was not true. I'm team Henri all the way. Speaking of Bram, I felt there were some plot holes involving him towards the end. (view spoiler)[When Count Montoni scratched him, they only found out it was with his teeth turning Bram into a werewolf later. They said Count Montoni must not have noticed that the curse could have set into Bram but that doesn't really make sense because they also said he was extremely careful. And I feel like Count Montoni would have used a silver pike just as a precaution, and of his intents to kill all these werewolves I would think he would have more silver weapons. Very clever though, keeping Bram alive after he turned into a werewolf. (hide spoiler)] Overall, I really enjoyed reading the book, and I loved the characters. I actually like the love triangle, which those are usually hit-or-miss, and the open ending. This was so close to being a fav, but there were just some small things I didn't enjoy. I do recommend it, though. ...more
Really the big thing that made this 3 stars was the fact that I had to read it for school. We just had to take notes upon notes and there was so much Really the big thing that made this 3 stars was the fact that I had to read it for school. We just had to take notes upon notes and there was so much information in the book that I didn't know what was important and what wasn't. But speaking from a non-school perspective, I actually really enjoyed this. Like, it surprised me how much I enjoyed it. The way it was written as if it were a fictional story was very nice. I've only read one other book like that, and I liked that one too. The information was a lot, but not too much and not too overwhelming. Overall, it was a fairly quick non-fiction read that was very informational and I did enjoy. I wish I had not read it for school because that would have made the experience much more positive, but even then I still liked it....more
2/9/24 - This was more of a 4.5 ONLY BECAUSE it became a little repetitive and boring towards the middle. But it was still so cute and Isaac is my spi2/9/24 - This was more of a 4.5 ONLY BECAUSE it became a little repetitive and boring towards the middle. But it was still so cute and Isaac is my spirit animal soo I kept going. It was so sad and cute and hopeful at the same time. Like, what Hazel and Augustus had, no matter how short it was, it was still love. And I should have seen (view spoiler)[that Augustus was going to die. I mean, it's kind of a predictable ending. The plot was kind of predictable too. The second she started writing to the author, I was like "oop she's going to Amsterdam to have her dreams come true". I didn't think that he was going to be such a jerk or that he would make a turn. I teared up a little when he went to Augustus's funeral. And his story about his daughter??? I LOVED that!!! Obviously I don't love that she died when she was so young and that his marriage didn't go well, but it just tied everything together. Why he stopped writing. Why he was so rude to them about their cancer. (hide spoiler)] This book may have been published in 2009, but it's never too late for a sequel. I want to know what happens to Van Houten and Hazel and Isaac and everyone. This kind of feels like how Hazel felt about An Imperial Affliction. How she wanted to know how everyone's lives ended. I want to know how her story ends. I'm not ready for it to be over yet. Anyway, this is a must read for everyone. I'm not kidding. I think it had such an important message and such good characters and it was impossible not to love it. This definitely got me over my reading slump. Once you get over that little bit of boringness in the middle, you cannot put it down. I'm so sad, I wish it continued :(
4/28/23 - i rated this about 2 months back and i am lowering my rating just by a .5 because as i was reviewing my other reads from this year, and especially my most recent read when i was trying to figure out how i was going to rate it. i began comparing those reads to this one, and while the fault in our stars is good, i have read some that deserve a bit more than this one. ...more
⋅˚₊‧ ୨ jocelyn ୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
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Books:
good-but-not-great
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