I picked up an ARC of this from the North Texas Teen Book Festival.
So this was...okay? Fine. It was just fine, really. If you weren't aware, this is aI picked up an ARC of this from the North Texas Teen Book Festival.
So this was...okay? Fine. It was just fine, really. If you weren't aware, this is a continuation (apparently not a direct sequel) to These Hollow Vows and takes place three years after These Twisted Bonds. If you haven't read that duology (or didn't finish it like I did), I think you can still read this book (and the sequel because really, with that ending how could there not be one?) and understand. Of course, you will obviously be spoiled regarding events that took place in the author's previous work in the same world.
I found Jasalyn and Felicity to be fine characters. Jasalyn is obviously suffering from some form of PTSD due to her time in Mordeus's dungeons. While she loves her sister, her inability to communicate her true feelings to her sister is a main source of tension in the book. The revelation regarding Kendrick, whom Jasalyn comes to very much care for, is interesting, and I'm intrigued to see how Jasalyn will overcome this as she feels like a pawn in so many ways. I found Felicity's story a bit more intriguing, especially in terms of her background and history. The author definitely expanded on this world, but I can't vouch for if some of these ideas were introduced in the previous duology. Her budding romance with King Misha was quite swoonworthy, though I'm still not convinced that Misha really fell in love with Jasalyn because I don't think he really knew the real princess in the first place, not in such an intimate setting at least.
This book contains a very intense plot that, in part, pulls on aspects of the previous duology as well. Again, not necessary to read those two books, but perhaps you might have a finer appreciation for this book as a whole. I can't say that I'll continue this series if it does indeed become one....more
I picked up an ARC of this book from the publisher’s booth at the North Texas Teen Book Festival.
Not my favorite but an enjoyable read nonetheless. MI picked up an ARC of this book from the publisher’s booth at the North Texas Teen Book Festival.
Not my favorite but an enjoyable read nonetheless. My favorite part of this was Adrius’s utter yearning for Marlow. He had it real bad, lol.
This is a very twisty, gritty book, no real right vs wrong, no black and white. Just shades of grey and people trying to survive. It shows that no one—or many someones—shouldn’t have that much power to create or destroy without caring for those outside of their circle. This book was less flashy in terms of Evergarden than the first book, less parties and society and more dealings with gangs and distorting the darkness of the city.
I still enjoyed Marlow, Swift, Adrius, and yes, even Silvan at times. I think we could have done more with Gemma, considering her feelings for Amara. I actually really liked her and wanted to see more of this slow friendship between her and Marlow.
I’m not really convinced that Vale had true fatherly feelings for Marlow. I kind of wonder how he would have reacted if he knew about Marlow’s mother and how she revealed herself to Marlow. That in itself felt kind of… I don’t know—thrown in there? Marlow has such conflicting feelings about her mother and still loving her despite all that just kind of feels icky, lol.
An interesting series overall that I don’t think I would have picked up had I not gotten an ARC of this book....more
Thanks for the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was...just okay. I wish I liked it more because the world-building Thanks for the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was...just okay. I wish I liked it more because the world-building is really intricate and well put together. The unfortunate part is that I didn't really care for any of the characters. I was really enraged with all of them, mostly Aina. I struggled to understand how she could have such strong feelings for her mother when the latter basically verbally and physically abused her. Her mother said she "loved" her daughter, but it was hard to believe that. At one point Aina said it was better to have that type of mother than no mother at all and I-- Um, no. Sorry, girlie, but we're not doing that in this day and age even in a fantasy world.
As for Meizan and Aranel... They were...fine. Meizan has a lot of anger and he really channels that (often literally), but he's really blinded by the loyalty he has for his clan and his hatred for Aranel. Aranel has his own prejudices and a "goody two shoes" attitude, but his eyes are really opened over the course of the novel, and I feel his pain when he realizes those he thought he could trust, he can no longer trust because they lied to him.
I wish we had focused on one or two characters. I understand the author's desire for the reader to have a perspective from everyone within the different "levels" but I felt like it really bogged the story down. I didn't think we spent enough with each character individually before we were whiplashed into the POV of another one.
Thanks to the publisher for sending a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a really cute read. Sitting in the "cozy fantasy" category, iThanks to the publisher for sending a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a really cute read. Sitting in the "cozy fantasy" category, it's meant to be low stakes, but I actually thought some of the stakes were quite high! Starting in a new town and starting a new business to boot, while always feeling like you have to look over your shoulder, is so intimidating, but I enjoyed that Reyna and Kianthe finally felt like they could truly be themselves among themselves and eventually among others. I liked the friends they found along the way, along with all the magical elements and being that we encountered.
I feel like Reyna and Kianthe are opposites but they work very well together, and I liked that the author incorporated "real world" issues into her story, such as Kianthe's anxiety/panic attacks. The tension between Lord Wylan and Diarn Feo was entertaining and I hope we get to see them more in the next book, though I'm not sure the next book will be a top priority for me.
While I did enjoy this book overall and I would recommend it, I found myself a bit reluctant to return to it and I can't pinpoint exactly why. The epilogue definitely opens this up to a larger story as a whole, and there's definitely already a sequel in the works. ...more
Thanks to the publisher for the digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was truly a surprisingly pleasant read for me. Oh yes,Thanks to the publisher for the digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was truly a surprisingly pleasant read for me. Oh yes, it had its hurts, delights, and nuances about grief and mourning, but it was also about two people who work through this together and separately in a world that doesn't want to see them together. It's a wonderful story of a slowly budding friendship that turns into a romance with all the right people and parts to make it work.
I loved both Cecilia and David, and the friends they made throughout their journey. I loved the background of 1660s England, and I can't say I've read a lot of historical fiction that takes place during this time period (I'm more of a Regency or Victorian era girl myself). I thought it was a bit of an interesting choice to choose this time period but I think it perfectly sets the scenes and considers the restrictions and allowance of both Cecilia, as a women during this time period, and David, as a foreign Jew during the time period, but also the important role he plays as a doctor, as someone who actually cares about his patients and learning.
I was a bit worried there for a second though, that Cecilia and David wouldn't have their happily ever after. They're both fragile and not very outspoken about their feelings for one another. I enjoyed how the author brought these two together through two of their close friends, respectively, and how everything just seemed to work for them. I love when there is a cast of supporting characters. I think it commends the author who was able to write such well-rounded characters that really make you feel deep within you....more
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Hm, I just don’t think de la Cruz is for me. The last two books I’ve read by her Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Hm, I just don’t think de la Cruz is for me. The last two books I’ve read by her really made me excited to jump into the story and this one was no exception. However, I soon found out that this seemed all over the place with multiple plots that went all over the place and overshadowing one another, like we couldn’t focus on one or find our groove with another. Romantasy? Murder mystery? This book may be described as a romantic fantasy but to be honest, the romance was VERY lacking and not convincing. The fantasy elements were totally there though, weaving Filipino lore and mythology. I liked those parts.
MJ was likable enough, as were the side characters like Nix and Lucas. I wish we had more time with MJ and her mom, or MJ at school, or just MJ trying to do more to figure out her magic. I actually wanted more of her at school because I felt like I could be learning about this secret magical kingdom right along with her. What about her learning what it takes to be queen? It all felt very surface level, nothing really deep or well laid out. Just when you feel invested in certain plots, you’re whiplashed right into another one.
The writing was mediocre at best and felt a bit stilted. This is no flowery, purple prose which is fine but something about the writing didn’t really click with me....more
Thanks to the publisher for the physical ARC In exchange for an honest review.
Y’all! This book was so cute! I applaud everyone who has championed cozyThanks to the publisher for the physical ARC In exchange for an honest review.
Y’all! This book was so cute! I applaud everyone who has championed cozy fantasy books because this one deserves to be at the top of the list! I loved everything about and for some reason, it really gave me Studio Ghibli vibes in the best way possible.
I so enjoyed Kiela and her journey throughout this book—so used to being alone and trying to figure out how to navigate making friends and even being a friend to other creatures. It was also fun to have Caz around and I just loved how human he seemed, all things considered. When Meep came into the picture, all I could think about were the Cactuar from Final Fantasy, lol. Talk about all the mythical creatures—I seriously loved everyone from the mermaids, winged cats, tree guardians, and the unicorn! Kiela was simply so determined that she really turned the island around, making it a place that the residents could love even more.
Kiela’s growing romance between Larran was really fun to follow, too, as she seemed pretty oblivious to his feelings for her that even her sentient plant could see it.
I hope the author writes more in this world. It has the potential to be so vast and I think there’s a lot more we can explore....more
Hahn’s books always seem to hit hard and cover the gritty and not so fabulous parts of life. But she always balances it out weActual rating:3.5 stars
Hahn’s books always seem to hit hard and cover the gritty and not so fabulous parts of life. But she always balances it out well with the sweet and with our characters discover who they are and what they needed. This is definitely a niche book and while I'm definitely not a rodeo or cowgirl myself (really, that would be laughable), I definitely felt for both Case and Winnie in different ways. While it sucks to have these big life-changing events bring you down, I'm glad it made Case open his eyes and I'm glad he and Winnie were able to find themselves. Winnie found something she enjoyed and looked forward to when life has been less than stellar for her. I'm glad, too, that Case and Winnie had the support of other people outside of their "inner" circle (i.e. family members)....more
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a free physical ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was an entertaining and enjoyActual rating:3.5 stars
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a free physical ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was an entertaining and enjoyable read. It didn't blow me out of the water, but I liked the contemporary setting with the magical elements. I liked the writing style, in that you really felt like you were being told this story with Tabatha Zeng sitting right next to you. However, the story also lacked some of the finer details I usually like to see. Perhaps a bit more world-building. I understand this is a contemporary setting and the story really focused on the magical side of things, but I felt like I didn't get enough of Julian Solomon to warrant any real feelings for him when he actually died. Tabatha seemed to be just an average sorcerer, despite her enthusiasm for the occult and her apprenticeship under Julian.
I also felt like some characters sort of just...disappeared from the story like Angelique Reed and Detective Chang. I actually thought the latter would play a bigger role but it felt kind of like, "Here's a detective who investigates magical crimes just for the heck of it" with no real substance there. With Tabatha's apprenticeship I wished there was more magical learning. I didn't really understand much of it, but I really would have loved some action scenes with Tabatha actively learning magic from Julian.
The romance between Callum and Tabatha was basically a default relationship, and I didn't find any substance there either. Almost like it was put there just for the sake of it, but to be honest, I think I would have been okay without it.
I liked Tabatha's relationship with her parents, but I wanted more of that as well. They seemed like really cool people actually, lol.
Overall, while this was an entertaining read, I found it lacking in a few places. It's the first book I've read by Tang, so while I'm interested to read some of her backlog, I'm not pushing aside the other books in my TBR to get to them....more
Content warnings: death, racism, blood, discussions of war, human experimentation, drug use, emotional manipulation, misogyActual rating:3.5 stars
Content warnings: death, racism, blood, discussions of war, human experimentation, drug use, emotional manipulation, misogyny
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All quotes are taken from the ARC and may change in the final copy.
Yes, I have read some of the discourse around this book after the fiasco regarding Cait Corrain. I've only read some the discourse labeling this book as a "colonizer romance" and I think that is a bit of a misnomer. The romance--for what it is--is very scant and tbh, I don't even think the FMC, Ruying, would even call it a romance. She's surviving and traumatized. Safety and protection for both herself and her family comes in the form of Antony, but it's there's any love or romance, it's twisted for both of them. However, the colonizer part is very much correct and Ruying doesn't shy away from that aspect.
One of the things I found really interesting was the way Ruying really judged Baihu, her childhood friend, for adapting (not sure assimilate would work fully here) to the Roman culture by dressing like them and getting into the "good graces" of the Romans.
"But while I clung to my dignity, Baihu chose to abandon his three years earlier, when he ditched the robes of our heritage and severed his top knot. His hair was now short, styled back in the Roman way. Every day, he resembled more of the false Gods on the other side of the Fence, as if he couldn't wait to shed this skin, erase his past and any resemblance to us frm his new, elevated position as Prince Valentin's right hand."
In the end, he too is simply surviving. And can we really say how we would react if we were in the same situation? What we can infer from Ruying's interactions with Baihu, his family is stuck in a situation with no hope of ever coming out the other end. His family doesn't act so he chooses to do so while he still can.
The world-building is really spot on in this book. There's so much of it, so much of Ruying talking about the Romans and their "science" of guns and planes and how her people were really helpless to do anything despite having magic. Sometimes it felt a little silly to believe, but the more I read, the more I understand that magic in this world slowly began to fade away. Despite all the horrors and injustices that Ruying witnesses with her own eyes, she's really desperate to believe something--a Roman like Antony--has the power to make things better for her people and for Rome and she slowly finds herself actually believing what he says. But really, Antony is also hiding dark secrets of his own. (The author mentioned some of the book being inspired by the events of Unit 731, which I knew nothing about so I did some Googling... Oh boy. Read about that with caution!)
Antony insults Ruying's people and boasts about the superiority of the Romans. He emotionally manipulates her so much and Ruying falls for it kind of...easily?
"You know, for a genetically advanced species with unlimited magic at your disposal, one'd assume your civilization to be something more impressive, more advanced. ... I guess when you have magic things like technology and scientific discoveries wouldn;t be high on your list of priorities. Instead of creating tools to solve problems your people simply used magic. A convenience in the beginning, but detrimental to your growth in the long run."
Like damn. Okay. I think this goes back to what Antony provides for her and her family in terms of safety and protection. He also comforts her when she becomes his assassin and I think that's something Ruying never really had with her own family because she's always had to be the strong one.
"When the tears fell, Anthony met my weakness with kindness. Always, he held me--through the shame that was heavy as damnation, drowning me in its shivering depths. Those arms were comforting and strong, and they felt like an anchor whenever I was tucked safely within--the only thing that could sheild me from the maddening waves. ... {He} was the only thing that tethered me to my fraying sanity."
"All of his lingering stares and whispers of admiration are like lullabies, soothing your fragile ego because no one had ever said those things to you before. Because you have convinced yourself that you don't deserve to be loved. Is your self-esteem so low that you'd let the enemy prince woo you just because you think he sees something in you that no one else can? Do you hate yourself that much, Ruying?"
Antony breaks Ruying through the jobs he has her do so when she is breaking, he's there to comfort her and manipulate her to think that he is the good guy, telling her stories about his broken past as if he can relate to her in some sort or fashion. But Ruying is also young, only nineteen, and she's seen too much horror in her own world and she's turned it into anger and hatred so she can better use her gift. Eventually, Ruying does see through Antony's facade and the catalyst for this is rather heartbreaking as it's meant to be, I'm sure.
I wish Baihu played a bigger role in this book, but maybe the author's intention is to keep the readers in the dark the same way Ruying is kept in the dark. Perhaps we'll get his POV in Book 2. If the readers are to believe there's some sort of romantic affection between Baihu and Ruying, I would be hard-pressed to believe it. While I did enjoy this book, it also made me angry, lol. But my anger stems from Ruying being somewhat easily deceived. I want her to raze the ground in Book 2 so bad!...more
Thanks to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for the free digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think YA cActual rating:2.5 stars
Thanks to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for the free digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think YA contemporaries are slowly no longer becoming a genre I enjoy. Yes, there are rare instances but the more I read newer release, I almost feel a bit of a disconnect... I know I'm not the target audience, so blame me if you want to.
I couldn't get over how pretentious the main character, Chloe, was. She was accomplished, don't get me wrong, but she simply had a lot going on and it seemed so overkill for a 16-year-old in high school. Chloe plans very extravagant things as well but all the while I kept thinking, "Her parents are just giving her money like this? She doesn't have a job! Where is she getting the money?!" Is this too...adult of me to say? lol She claims so soon to be in love with Daniel and I'm like, "Girl, it's only been a couple of weeks!" I almost felt like this would do well as a new adult novel with Chloe in college, and trying to see her balance these things she enjoys with the newness of college. The constant stereotypes or cliches regarding Los Angeles and New York City made me roll my eyes. It's as if she's living in two different countries rather than two different states. Chloe's best friend, Selena, wasn't helping either.
What I did like that we have an East Asian main character with parents who actually showed affection to one another AND didn't pressure their daughter to become a doctor of some kind. I appreciate the scenes with Chloe's grandmother as well, and how her family has become caregivers to her as she is in the early stages of dementia.
Perhaps I would relate to this book more if I had dealt with a lot of breakups and heartache when I was a teenager, but to be honest I didn't, and it wasn't something I actively sought out either....more
Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I found this an enjoyable, eActual rating:3.5 stars
Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I found this an enjoyable, easy read. I wish there was a map, and to be honest, it took me a little bit to realize this was historical fantasy as there is no stated year of these events (unless you do some Googling?). I found myself really liking Irinya and Fardan. They seem (and are!) so young it makes all of their mistakes even that much more believable. But their hearts truly lie with their family. This book very much contains the childhood-friends-to-lovers trope and I thought I wouldn't like it was it was something I detected right away, but in the end, I found their very small, so slowly budding romance to be very adorable. I was a little sad at the ending, regarding the other three flower hunters in Irinya's kul. Their "plan" was very shoddy and poorly put together and I knew it wouldn't go well in the long run.
I enjoyed the premise of this book, with the magical flowers and flower hunters. I enjoyed following Irinya into the luxuriousness of the palace and the political intrigue and court politics of the governors, wazir, and even the sultana....more
Thanks to PenguinTeen for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so fun! I really enjoyed Bobby and WinteActual rating:3.5 stars
Thanks to PenguinTeen for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so fun! I really enjoyed Bobby and Winter’s rival-to-lovers relationship. I’m throughly convinced that couples who fit this trope never really hated one another—they just never spent enough time together because they were too busy thinking they hated each other. The forced proximity was the best thing to happen to these two.
The road trip was incredibly fun to follow and really allowed Winter and Bobby to figure out what they really wanted or if it was just everyone else telling them what they wanted. They both made great discoveries about themselves, each other, and in Bobby’s case, his family. The way Bobby felt not Korean “enough” because he didn’t know the language of much about the culture really pulled on my heartstrings and the tension he had with his family regarding this needed to be brought into the light and I’m glad it was. I hope there is resolution for between Bobby’s parents and his uncle, Eugene.
The side characters like Kai, Emmy, and Halmeoni were all a lot of fun. I think I would like to read a book about Kai because I found him very cool and incredibly chill.
Really my only big qualm with this book is the lack of school setting. I know that might sound weird but Bobby and Winter are incredibly competitive in their grades, and the road trip only took up so much of the book, I think we really needed some time to establish a real concrete competitiveness between Winter and Bobby in school. ...more
Thanks to the publisher for sending a free physical ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was an enjoyable read with a nicActual rating:3.5 stars
Thanks to the publisher for sending a free physical ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was an enjoyable read with a nice revenge plot and a cute romance. Sometimes I felt a little torn regarding the main character, Mingshin, but then I remembered what got her there in the first place. She was sometimes brutal and harsh because she had to be and I was perfectly fine with that. I enjoyed her relationship with her mother and her bodyguard, and I found Mingshin to be a generally likeable person by those around her, those who actually wanted to get to know her such as Prince Jieh and Princess Yunle. Mingshin also proved to be caring to those who cared in return, and we see the big contrast to this in regard to her uncle and cousins.
I enjoyed the magical elements to this story as well, however slight they are. I think we'll see more of it if this book ends up being a series because there's a whole world to explore there and I'm eager to read about it. The writing itself could have been a little better but definitely reads like its target audience. I would have appreciated a map (I hope there's one in the finished copy).
I thought the romance between Minghin and Jieh was very cute, too....more
I picked up a physical ARC at the North Texas Teen Book Festival in March 2023.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s the sort of “slice of life,” summer reI picked up a physical ARC at the North Texas Teen Book Festival in March 2023.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s the sort of “slice of life,” summer read that I enjoy and I found each of our MCs compelling, with a story of their own to tell.
Thanks to Wednesday Books for the digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Here's the thing: I'm following GR's rating system and 3 Thanks to Wednesday Books for the digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Here's the thing: I'm following GR's rating system and 3 stars is a firm "I liked it." And the truth is, I do but it also felt...a little chaotic with some of what I thought would be major plot points pushed to the side and others I thought should be shifted into a main focus.
I really feel for Rubi, I do. She's the only daughter of immigrant parents who left Cuba for America. There's very obviously some tough emotions that her parents don't share regarding why they left for Cuba and then the toxic immigrant parents who put their hopes and dreams into their children and then become disappointed when the children don't exactly do what they want. Rubi feels this immensely, and she mentions it a lot--like how she feels like she is an investment, and the weight of this investment is on her shoulders. I was a little disconcerted, too, at how often Rubi's mother is simply called "the Boss." It really disassociates and disconnects the reader but also provides insight into how Rubi feels about her mother. It's very obvious that Rubi as a closer relationship to her dad and this is seen through their shared love of baking and their collective attempt to bend the "baking ban."
The synopsis also states that Step 2 in Rubi's "Recipe for Success" is to be a successful lawyer, but to be honest, I don't even see her desire to be a lawyer throughout the book. Her full passion is thrown into baking, with some dedication to her debate team (okay, which is called Law and Debate so maybe I can cut some slack). I found her being a lawyer as a way to appease her parents. Rubi gave lots of thoughts to future baking recipes but very little to what she could accomplish as a lawyer, if it's what she really wanted.
I also found there was so much suspended disbelief in terms of the baking competition. Am I thinking about things too literally? It was a bit chaotic, and when the fourth and final challenge came along, I thought, "Really? Rubi's still allowed to do this?" I won't say what for spoiler's sake, but logically it didn't make sense. I'm not saying her concoctions weren't great because really they all sounded so mouthwatering, but I think we as readers, especially in the contemporary genre, expect large aspects of the plot to be believable.
I wasn't convinced of the romance between Ryan and Rubi either. It felt kind of forced, and I just didn't think they spent enough time together to warrant their romance. Maybe because it felt a bit like instalove to me and that isn't my jam. I wished we dove deeper into Rubi's friendship with Devon, especially leading up to Devon's confession toward the end of the book....more
Thanks to the publisher for the free digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ooooh, I knew Saft would do me no wrong. I’ve been inThanks to the publisher for the free digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ooooh, I knew Saft would do me no wrong. I’ve been in love with her work since her debut, DOWN COMES THE NIGHT. To say I was very eager for AFE would be an understatement as it really gave off vibes that I knew I would love and… I wasn’t disappointed! If you love fantasy and historical romance, this is for you! If you’ve been missing Bridgerton and want little to no spice, this is for you! I really enjoyed the almost mirror to our real world—from Ireland, English, Spain, and France.
Niamh was such a lovely character. She wants so much to take care of her mother and ailing grandmother and she found the perfect opportunity to do so. But little does she know what a mess she’s walking into when she reaches Aveland. Kit is a disgruntled second son of a possibly mad king and has a very stoic older brother. But he’s a softie for Niamh! It just takes a lot of disgruntled looks and frustrated sighs before we get there.
All of these characters were so fun, including Sinclair, Miriam, and Rosa. I’m glad we got to see all of them together and I think they’ve really started what could be a long and good friendship.
Now what I wanted to see more of were interactions between Niamh and Sofia. I think Sofia is such an unexplored character but I know she has so much insight and feeling, especially when it comes to Jack. I also thought the Lovelace plot sometimes got a little lost.
I know Saft writes standalone fantasies but I’m yet again, saying I would absolutely love a sequel to this book....more
Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing for the free physical ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content warnings: implied sexual assault, suicidal Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing for the free physical ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content warnings: implied sexual assault, suicidal ideation
I’m sticking to my guns and following Goodreads 3-star rating of simply “I liked it” because I do. Sadly though I felt like there could have been a lot more: plot, world-building, character development. This really hinges on the fact that people are familiar with the Beauty and the Beast tale and can do their own world-building but to me honest I don’t think that should be left to the reader—the author should be drawing us into that world.
Despite that I did find Beauty and Beast’s growing friendship really sweet. I wish Beauty had a more developed relationship with her family. I hated to see that one of her sisters was framed as “the villain.” Beauty was a bit unlikable in the beginning and I found her rather snooty, but I feel like that is because of her growing closer to Stephan. When she was able to separate herself from him, I think she was able to take an honest look at herself and see the person she was with him and that she didn’t like it.
Overall an enjoyable read but the lack of development with various aspects just left me wanting a lot more that simply wasn’t delivered. ...more
I picked up a physical ARC from the publisher's booth at the North Texas Teen Book Festival in March 2023.
Well, this was certaActual rating:3.5 stars
I picked up a physical ARC from the publisher's booth at the North Texas Teen Book Festival in March 2023.
Well, this was certainly a fun and entertaining read. If you're a theater/musical nerd, I think you'll definitely enjoy it and be able to spot all the Easter eggs more than I did. I thought it was really brave of Nasrin to continue on the way that she did, though I definitely thought that school was kind of on the back-burner for her due to what she had happening outside of it. I'm glad she was able to catch her "big break" but also glad to see her character develop as the story continued and for her to realize it isn't all it's cracked up to be.
I liked her relationship with her parents, too, though I was kind of tired of the whole "I'm lying to my parents" being mentioned in practically every chapter. Yes, Nasrin, we know. From this, though, you could tell that she really did care for her parents and I feel like all parents, they very much wanted the best for their (only) child and I could tell that Nasrin was just slightly intimidated by them due to their "American dream" story. I also found her friendship with Beckett and even her cousin, Minu, as realistic as they come. The conversations they had regarding the privilege of higher education and romance were really on point. I'm glad all three of them were able to overcome the hurdle of a lot of life happening at once. In turn, the budding romance with Max was very cute. I found their romance easy and immediately likable and even Max's discussion with Nasrin regarding his privilege as a white male and his parents were spot-on.
Overall this was a great read. There were moments when I thought things seemed to happen too fast but they mellowed out in the end. I'm confident that once Nasrin graduates from Tisch she'll have the world at her feet and all the support behind her....more
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