Lauren

I can see why people like Rebecca Ross’s books. They’re accessible while also having relatively complex storylines and really wonderful world building. I think the magic system in this was my favorite part. It was really unique and interesting.

Unfortunately, I don’t think she’s for me. I read the Divine Rivals duology and didn’t love it, but I am a strict believer authors generally deserve a second chance. While I love the premise of her books and the worlds in which they take place, I really struggle with her dialogue. I can’t exactly explain why, but there is something about it that feels strange. I also can’t say I love her romances. I just never believe the characters love each other. I never feel the chemistry (and I don’t even necessarily think they should be together).

I really do think a lot of people would (and clearly do) love this book. Ross just isn’t the author for me, unfortunately.

I never was able to get into the first trilogy in the Shadow Hunter’s series. I tried reading City of Bones even at the time that I was the target audience and it just never really got into it. I wanted to, but while I didn’t have the vocabulary for it at the time and now too many years have passed for me to remember the why, I know I felt some kind of disconnect. Awhile back I watched CariCanRead’s series recap on the main trilogy and this month decided I wanted to give this portion of the world a try (Cari recommended starting here if the original trilogy didn’t call to you). While I know there is overlap on the series, her overview gave me enough understanding to jump into this world, and I’m glad I did.

Cassandra Clare’s characters are fantastic. I really enjoyed Sword Catcher and the Ragpicker King, so I knew this going in, but I was still pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed Tessa and her growth over the book. I like how Clare explored the role of women in society. I also enjoyed that Tessa wasn’t the typical FMC in books that are released today. Sometimes she’s strong and incredible, but other times she’s just a girl who needs help and is worried about her brother.

I know Will is going through shit and clearly has much bigger problems than romance (alas, YA characters - and even adult ones - rarely know how to avoid falling for the brooding man), and I am excited to see how he changes over the series, but man am I mad at him for that final part we saw him in. iFYKYK.

Overall it was a fun time and while I could see some of the twists coming, they were well done. Although I never got into the series, it felt oddly nostalgic.

Man, I don’t know. I know this is YA, but it’s a struggle to want to read this book. It’s VERY YA in its writing, but the hinting at and near discussion of sexual topics makes it feel more high school. Oddly, it reminded me a little of the House of Night series that way. The writing is juvenile, but the content is older. That being said, I imagine my high school self still would have love this book, but my adult self cannot overlook the many issues.

For starters, this “love triangle” shouldn’t exist. Alex is too immature and going through too much trauma to be in any kind of relationship (see, great example: high school me wouldn’t care, but adult me knows better). She uses these boys unfairly to fill in the holes and gaps in her life, which is unfair to them. I would almost feel bad but I find both Aiden and Seth to be walking red flags (admittedly Seth is better, but he’s still pretty flawed).

But fine, this is YA and teens are angsty and hormonal. I can believe that. What I can’t ignore, however, is the girl hate. I know this is from 2012, but it is still gross. I don’t know why Alex has to find every girl to be competition to the boys she likes (and is not in a committed relationship with), but it feels bad. I could still even see that, but the book pointedly tries to make calling girls who are against Alex “whore “ a funny joke that we should agree with. Absolutely not. The almost casual threat of rape throughout this book was also unsettling and not made into a big enough deal.

I don’t know. I know it’s old (I got this book as a gift, which is why I’m reading it), but even in 2012 I know I was reading books much better and less girls hating girls than this. This book does try to make some commentary on topics like women being seen as small or weak or domestic violence (again, casually) once or twice, but it was never convincing.

While it does feel mildly nostalgic at times (I’m looking at every other “she’s not like other girls book”), I can’t say I’d recommend it to anyway.