Grace
This book was pretty good. I had to read it for a journalism class, and it really provided me a different perspective as someone who has almost always lived in suburbia. The stories told are heart breaking because it's of a system d signed to fail people.
There are a lot of characters and things going on, which did make it harder to follow, especially when it would switch from situation to situation and it made reading the book more difficult trying to remember the details of different people and who knew who, ect.
I can't quite describe what I find so off putting about this book. I started reading it knowing nothing about it, and didn't pick up on the plot line u til about a third of the way through, where I then was not the biggest fan of Giles.
I'm not mad that I read this book, but I would never read it again and would never recommend it to anyone unless it's 3am and you have literally nothing better to do with your time.
This has been a series that I've wanted to read since forever because it's a classic, but I've never read it. It is definitely written for children, and is very fast paced in a childish manner, but I don't mind it. The plot is simple, with no twist that I couldn't see coming, but it was still an enjoyable read. It was nice, especially after reading a really intense fantasy book to read a more toned down one. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this. Everything about this book was basic and simple, but that is what I was expecting, so I was glad to read it.
This is the first book in a while that has me screaming into my pillow. I have known about it for a while, and have heard good things, but was skeptical. I really like the beginning of Throne of Glass, but the ending got a little too complicated and the relationships convoluted, and generally unenjoyable and I didn't want to go though that again. I'm glad I did though because this book is amazing. I really like how the characters are really diverse in their motivations and back stories. There are no cookie cutter characters, and even the background characters like Alis have fully flashed out stories. The story doesn't feel rushed, and I like learning the magic system from Feyre because she has a warped understanding because she is human, so learning it through her perspective is really interesting. The romance also doesn't feel overbearing, and is definably the B plot to the whole magic debacle and the blight/Amarantha.
Lucian is my favorite character because he is just so snarky but can still hold his own in a fight despite the fact that Tamlin is the all-powerful one. I also like the relationship that Feyre and Lucian develop because it feels very playful and brother sisterly, but he really does care about her. During the rite, and when Rhysand visits, he protects her from a danger that she may or may not even recognize herself. He truly cares about her past Tamlin being his bro and him tolerating her for his sake. I also like his tragic back story because it makes him relatable as a character and he may be this snarky and standoffish character, but he has walls built up because of the trauma, which is a very human thing, despite being fae. Also the fact that he can stick it back to his family by being Tamlin's ambassador and dealing with them is such a power move. And he has a whole development arc where he genuinely starts to like her and tells her that he would protect her even if Tamlin didn't insist on it because she risked her life to save him by giving up her name to Amarantha, even though he had been an asshole to her in the past. One of my favorite scenes in the whole book is when Lucian blows up at Feyre for making the deal with Rhysand to heal her because he would have healed her as soon as he was able to move after Amarantha made Tamlin punish him for helping Feyre in the first trial. They have a really good sibling relationship, and I'm excited to see that develop as the series goes on, especially since Lucian's bio family is full of assholes that tried to kill him, and Feyre made sure to give them some murderous stairs.
I originally wasn't a fan of Rhysand as a character because he was on the side of villainy for no apparent reason, which I suppose was the point because he is the high lord of the night court and is supposed to be all mysterious, so he did a good job of that. But as the book went on and he started to develop more of a relationship with Feyre, and told her about how Amarantha was actually punishing him for his father killing Tamlin's father and brother, who she liked because they also hated humans, I started to like him more. I think his fascination with Feyre, and his rivalry with Tamlin is super fun, and an interesting dynamic that puts Reece in a weird gray area between good and bad, which I think suits him perfectly. He definitely fits the type of tall dark and handsome, and I haven't really looked into the fandom for this series, but I have a feeling the Reece and Feyre is a popular ship, as opposed to Tamlin and Feyre which is the canon main ship going on right now. I would not be opposed to a love triangle, but I like that Tamlin and Reece's rivalry seems entirely separate from Feyre, and Reece is just kind of using her to get to Tamlin, but Feyre seems to understand this, and no real feelings seem to be developing, which is always good.
I really like Tamlin as a character, but on the whole, I was underwhelmed by him in particular. I thought he had a really interesting character, but since he had to keep a secret during the first half, and in the second half under the mountain he had to remain distant for Feyre's sake, I feel like he didn't get as much characterization as many of the other characters, making him a little underwhelming as opposed to Reece or Lucian or even Amarantha.
I really liked the ending with the plot twist and cliff hanger, but the rest of the book was not my favorite. I liked the beginning because it introduces the conflict between the brothers, specifically Easton and Reed, and shows the division between the brothers, and how there really is a big difference in the behaviors of the older and younger brothers. I liked the Steve coming back, but because Brooke has just died and Reed had been arrested so it just kind of got lost in the hassle, and since most of the book was not as interesting, and I stand by that it did build very well to what happened in the next book. Honestly, I have been struggling to read since forever, and the twist got me interested enough to read the next book right away which made me happy, but we are now just vibing.
I wasn't a big fan of this book overall. I thought that the plot moved too fast, especially for a fantasy book, so some of the plot twist and magical elements were rushed or not explained all the way. Like the whole romance was so rushed and I didn't like it at all, and I feel like the relationship between Etta, Pen, Joss, and Caden could have been explored a lot more.
Overall, the relationships were kind of iffy. Etta instantly trust and loved Porter and Felix after her arrival in Araivd even though he has been her enemy for as long as she has known, and I thought Ryder was going to be a bigger element but they just kind of sent her off to Blare but still treated her like a major character making her officially Etta's sister at the end, which didn't really feel right to me.
I think this book would have worked better if it had slowed down and been two books. Book one could have been everything up to them getting to Aravid, and then book two could be Etta and Reid further developing their relationship and then taking down Madame and getting to know Felix and Porter better, and going to the maze and the battle. I think this could have been a better use of the characters and their development. Also, the plot twist wasn't really twisting because they happen all of the time. Greer was her dad and then she was the one who had killed Pen who was Reid's brother, and then Porter was Etta's grandfather and then Madame was the one who killed her own father and then Greer sacrificed himself to save Etta and her mom. It was just not as exciting because everything came in quick succession, so you didn't have time to be shocked before the next thing came.
I think that Gabe has some sort of time magic, but he lies in his ability to slow time in times of crisis, like during the war as he was at every major battle as well as when he was saving the boy that the article was written about as well as Sylvia at the end of the book. This seems like an obvious conclusion and was probably why he was so upset about not being able to save the father in the boat incident. I do still wonder about Sylvia's family, which I'm sure will be explored in the next books, but also how her brother specifically knew to contact India Glass about information about their family being silver magic users. Also, Alex seems like the prime target for a love interest for Daisy, as an enemy to lovers B plot, especially with the only other candidate being Horatio, who is now out of the picture.
I generally liked the mystery and found it engaging enough to read all in one day. The magic system was interesting in that it blended very well with the real world. It wasn't a true fantasy novel where it had a whole new world that was fully fleshed out and the characters lives revolved around magic. At the beginning of the book, Sylvia was wholly unconcerned with magic, as she was a librarian whose job was to fix books in disrepair, and nobody in her family, as far as she knew was a magician, so it didn't really matter. It wasn't until she saw India Glass's name that she was reminded of her brother who though that they might be silver magicians, despite the fact that many other characters in the book seeming to be convinced that these magicians are extinct. Also, I don't get Willie's hate for Sylvia. Like, I understand that she is protective of Gabe and wants him to go back to how he was before the war, but what does that have to do with Sylvia. And it isn't just that she is sacred of Sylvia getting in the way of Gabe and Ivey's relationship, because none of the three relevant parties seem concerned with this.
I thought the backdrop of WW1 just ending and the soldier's coming home was interesting backdrop for the novel, because it provided motivation for some of the actions of the characters, specifically Tommy Allen. I liked his character, and the fact that some of it is still up for interpretation. His relationship with women, influenced by his ex-fiancé, and his trauma after the war is interesting as a character trait. He also seemed to know more then was revealed, but he died, so I hope it comes up more in the later books. I'm excited to read the next book, which comes out in early March. I think that even though the immediate mystery was solved, there are still several bigger questions, the most important and interesting to me being that of Gabe and his magical ability, as well as India Glass and her connection to Sylvia's brother and their family. I like the structure of a bigger mystery across the series and mini mysteries throughout the individual books that reveals information to the larger mystery as well.
I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. It really is just a classic YA rom com with nothing super specially about it. The plot was predictable, but that didn't mean it wasn't enjoyable. Especially since the fanfiction I'm reading right now has been a little bit heavier in content, it was nice to have a relaxing little read to go through. The characters are a bit flat, and the motivations behind some actions didn't make sense to me. Like the mean girl was mean just for the sake of being mean. Like, there was no reason to make fun of Jordan and her friends for not being size 2 but she thought there was, and it was never really explained. Obviously, this book has no real value to it, and real life doesn't work this way, but that bugged me in particular.
Additionally, Kai was never really explained. He was just in love with Jordan from the start? Like that doesn't really make a whole lot of sense and there was no development. He was so generic that his only character trait was being obnoxiously rich, nice to people who know him but generally standoffish, and being the love interest. I liked that Jordan felt relatable though. She fell in love fast and hard, made dumb mistakes but tried to learn from them, wasn't the ideal body shape or personality. That is probably why I tolerated this book as long as I did, because it wasn't anything specially, and I would only read the other books in the series if I had another better to read or was really in the mood for trashy rom com that takes no thought, but also falls apart under any real thought.
So overall I really like this book, especially the second half where the action starts to pick up a little bit more. Some of the book was predictable like Vincent being the ultimate villain and Rhen winning the whole competition but there were some smaller details that I didn't see coming like Vincent being the creator of the crippling disease and Mr. Holm actually being more of a position in that family and the current Mr. Holm was actually a shapeshifting woman. This book was predictable enough to feel familiar but new enough to keep me interested.
One part I didn't like was the lack of world building. The rules of the world and how much was fantasy creatures and magic vs. science was never really fully explored and made the rules of the world a little difficult to figure out. Mostly revolving around the Labyrinth and everything seeming so magical there with the disappearing doors and people getting magically transported to safety when nobody else could see but Rhen being so science focus and the competition being for the best science school.
I would love to see book two for this book because while the ending is good and wraps everything up nice enough, I would be really interested in a sequel about the adversity Rren faces at the male school and how she balances that with her relationship with Lute and her family. It doesn't look like a second book is in the cards and no fanfiction so that's sad that there isn't more content for these characters.
I enjoyed this book more than the 2nd one but not as much as the 1st. I wished it had focused a little bit less of the relationship between Nym and Eogen and more in the impending battle and that Nym had motivations other than to protect Eogen. It seemed,at least to me, that her whole world now revolves around him, and she lost some of that badass girl boss factor that made her very likable in the first book. Also, I would die for Kel!
This book wasn't as good as the first and that was really disappointing. It focused more on the plot aspects instead of developing the characters and Nym was being a little whinny for my taste. I'm excited for the third one where hopefully she and the other characters get more development (especially Kel! I want to love him but he just disappeared for most of the book). The twist was kind of predictable so I didn't enjoy it as much, and I didn't like how the prophecy was introduced so late in the hook because it defeated the best part of figuring out what the cryptic message means. Overall, not my favorite.
I loved this book! The premise was interesting and was similar enough to other ya fantasy books that is wasn't off putting but took the idea of the slave girl who wants to protect the people in the country in a different direction. The ending almost made me throw the book across the room in my frustration and demand my friend give me the next one as soon as possible.
Originally I wasn't a big fan because of the jumpy time line of going back and forth. It felt like 2 stories with the same characters and there motivations seemed weird because you could see two versions of them at the same time. Overall the book was very cute and fun to listen to while creating my own cosplays for an upcoming convention. I didn't like Evie's sudden change of heart at the end and her acceptance because it felt forced and like the author just wanted a happy ending. I would have liked for it to have been more progressive throughout the book, and the same with Luka's family.
Okay, here we gooooooo! This book, even though it did drag a little bit, was actually really good. I saw the plot twist of Steve being the murderer from the beginning, and the anticipation of waiting for exactly how it was going to be revealed, and then him almost murdering his own daughter! Like, he was trying and failing to be a good dad, and then he totally lost it when she was like, you did it, and he was like, no ... But it was him, and he was going to blame the whole thing on Reed and let his god son take the blame. And he was pissed about Ella and Reed dating because he was supposedly a murderer even though he knew that Reed wasn't because he was, and he murdered Brooke because he thought it was his wife!
And not only that, but because he is a bastard and a terrible person, he had an affair with Maria because he convinced her that Callum was cheating on her, because Steve was a cheating bastard, and convinced Maria that Callum was one too, even though he genuinely loved Maria and would never cheat on her. The guilt over cheating is one of the main reasons that she killed herself, and she wrote Steve a note explaining as so, and while Brooke had been staying in the apartment, she found the letter, and had actually hidden it in her room, which then became Ella's room, and Ella found the letter, and when she confronted Steve about it, he almost killed her, and she was like, you killed Brooke too, and he had a whole break down explaining how he was a terrible person, and Diana, the unexpected savior same in and SHOT Steve to prevent him from killing Ella. The ending of the book, like all the books in this series was a whorl wind.
I really enjoy Paper Princess. I'm re-reading it right now, and I forgot some of the little details, but there are parts that I'm waiting for. My favorite scene is the scene where Ella bails Easton out with the money in her car, and he and Reed figure out that she has been preparing to run and is ready to leave at the drop of a hat. I haven't even gotten to Ella getting a car, or where the boys start to tolerate her, which I always associate with them watching football with her. Additionally, I'm really excited to read the other books. I've only ever read the first part of the second book, and would like to get through the whole series, because I think the dynamics of the book are very interesting in general. Some of the complications of the book are not my favorite, specifically with Steve's widow. I don't like her and the whole thing with her trying to keep the money from Ella is just her being a bitch. I like the relations between people, and the complicated relationships that is caused by the fact that they are all rich assholes with too much time and money in general. The whole Steve thing in general, which I understand is a major plot point and the whole reason she is there, is wholly uncompelling to me, and I much prefer the, she's with Easton, oh now it's Daniel because the seal has been broken, but she's with Reed now, and takes her revenge on Daniel with Savannah and Valarie. This is so much more interesting than the adult drama, which just feels so real. The teenage drama just seems so unreal and wild that it feels like fiction, whereas the adult drama feels real in that they are older, more mature, and have the ability to make rational decisions.
I finished the book this morning, and the ending gets me every time. I really like how it brings a close to the current line, and I really want to start the next one because of the cliff hanger. I also want to read Fallen Heir, which I think is about Easton, who is by far my favorite character. I like that he becomes so protective of his family, and especially Ella. I like how he starts off so brazen and seems to only follow Reed and do things that are easy and fun, but it gets more complicated. While that is still the crux of his personality, it gets explain a little bit more, and it seems that Easton has some real deep issues going on, and I like how he tries to deal with it. He seems to be slowly but surely getting better, like he quite oxy, but still fucks anything that moves. He gambles, but since Ella had to bail him out, I would think he would stop, and the scare of Ella leaving will influence him.
I also think it's interesting how there is a distinct difference between Callum, Gideon, Reed, and the in group two is Easton and the twins. When Gideon is warning Ella, he specifically states that he, his dad, and Reed are poison for women. I wonder if that has to do with the ages, because both Reed and Gideon have been leaders of the brothers, and Callum the leader of the family, but it's different. I think that they all have their own issues, but I think the twins being younger eliminates them, and Easton being too much of a follower also disqualifies him from the too fucked up group. I also want to know more about the relationship between Savannah and Gideon. I'm sure it will come up in the other books, but I find it very fascinating. The only part of the book that I didn't really enjoy was the whole thing with Dinah, because it just seemed so boring.