"WE WERE LIARS meets THE RAVEN BOYS in this steamy, mind-bending YA debut about revenge, forbidden desires, and the sinister secrets lurking behind th"WE WERE LIARS meets THE RAVEN BOYS in this steamy, mind-bending YA debut about revenge, forbidden desires, and the sinister secrets lurking behind the walls of an elite boarding school. " stop stop I'm already sold ...more
I received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: death of children, gore, knife & gun violence, claustrophobic situation, strangulation, fire, traumatic parentI received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: death of children, gore, knife & gun violence, claustrophobic situation, strangulation, fire, traumatic parental death 3.3
The best thing I can say about this book is that it really does do something new with the concept of zombies. I think the idea of this kind of feral zombie-ism being so clearly an illness, and one that leaves behind victims who have been changed by it, is so interesting. The idea of a former-zombie is really cool, and the tension that comes from being unsure the cure will stick or if you'll always have access to your medication is really easy to get invested in.
I also think the romance is going to click for some people. This is best friends to lovers with a big pit stop in the middle because one of them was a cannibalistic monster and now is still not quite human. People who like the idea of a monster romance without so much of the monstrousness are going to like this.
However, it was hard to feel like there was m0re plot than melodrama here. This book is primarily flashbacks that add no real weight or information, which broke the flow when it did manage to have a flow, and soap opera level romantic refusals. Maybe if there had been more world building, and more time to really build up and care about these character, it would have come across as actual stakes, and not felt so forced. But as is, it didn't hit the mark....more
I received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: death of an animal, fire, missing person, death
Well... I didn't know what I was getting with this, so the endiI received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: death of an animal, fire, missing person, death
Well... I didn't know what I was getting with this, so the ending definitely felt blunt. The art is great and the story did suck me in as it was happening, but it doesn't really have a plot arc. This feels much more like a bleak real life moment or anecdote than a fictional piece that you read for entertainment....more
I received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: parental death (pre-story) 3
I suppose this is a cute premise- a scavenger hunt from your famous, now dead motheI received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: parental death (pre-story) 3
I suppose this is a cute premise- a scavenger hunt from your famous, now dead mother, answering all your questions about her- and I think lovers of fluff and country music and stories about music/bands in general will have fun with that. This could be a nice feel good book for the right person.
I'm jut really not the right person. This book is very thin, and while it hinges on a mystery the mystery is barely actually a mystery. It's a minorly bumpy ride to a flat ending, and one where you will hear the same revelations and descriptions multiple times before you manage to get anything new- and you'll really have to suspend your disbelief to even take it in. I'm not a big fan of books that feel kind of like the lazy river, while I like a soft and calm story at times, my pick for that kind of read would be one with a lot more characterization and interesting writing....more
I received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: hanging, corporeal punishments (whipping), immolation, strangulation, lip trauma, kidnap 3.5
As a fan of piratesI received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: hanging, corporeal punishments (whipping), immolation, strangulation, lip trauma, kidnap 3.5
As a fan of pirates and sibling stories, I was excited about this book.
The sibling dynamics here were interesting. You don't get to see Ophelia and Betsy together all that much, but seeing their differences, how they interact, and how they see each other, is definitely interesting. You can also always see the love, no matter what.
Ophelia's Navy arc was one of the most interesting parts to me, which had more going on with it than many other sections, including the more pirate-focused parts. I also love Ophelia's implied aro-ace identity and the way it's dealt with in the story, without being out of period. On Betsy's side of things, her romance was surprisingly light and sweet, and balanced other parts of the book out well.
As much as I did like Ophelia's journey, and parts of Betsy's, putting them together didn't feel cohesive. This felt almost like a not fully finished puzzle. There are gaps that leave you feeling a little odd, and it doesn't really feel like a compete story. The ending, too, was satisfying in one singular way, and then for everything else was dissatisfying and fell flat. It simply couldn't work as an ending to everything brought forward here....more
I received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: dysfunctional parents, drowning, philophobia, mentioned suicide attempt 3.5
I do like the concept of this, and I received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: dysfunctional parents, drowning, philophobia, mentioned suicide attempt 3.5
I do like the concept of this, and I always like to see polyamorous representation, as there still isn't much out there. I was also excited to read another R.M. Romero book, as I know how easy it is to get sucked into her writing. The writing is, of course, still very good, and it's an easy read because of it. I feel like it's good for regular readers of verse novels, but also for those, like me, who don't tend to prefer them.
This doesn't really read well, however, as a "modern Orpheus & Eurydice"- it's not a true retelling, it's inspired by the myth, and thinking it's retelling sets you up for comparisons that it can't live up to. This story lacks the weight of the myth and instead leaves you feeling you're reading something very surface level story with a thin arc and ending.
There are also a few unfortunate moments in the text, where repetition makes the rhythm stumble, just enough to break up the flow and become a less enjoyable read. I do wonder if this would be better in audio, or if it just needed another pass in editing.
Pre-review comments below "a queer Orpheus and Eurydice retelling in verse, with a polyamorous triad, following two Miami teens who travel to the underworld to retrieve their girlfriend's soul, so they can reunite it with her body before it's too late."
Polyam Orpheus & Eurydice in verse????????????? PEACH TREE....more
This was a cute story of falling for a book and falling for a girl. I love how much this reminded me of the days ofI received an ARC from Edelweiss 3.5
This was a cute story of falling for a book and falling for a girl. I love how much this reminded me of the days of Twilight and trying to seek out people who loved the stories you loved. The color palette is soft and calm, and the romance is fragile and tender. I've never read a story that incorporated the wait in other countries for their book translations, so that felt unique. I did expect a bit more story, and payoff, so the ending felt abrupt and disappointing....more
I received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: themes of attempted sexual assault & forced intimacy, gore, accidental misgendering, suicidal ideation 3.5
A booI received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: themes of attempted sexual assault & forced intimacy, gore, accidental misgendering, suicidal ideation 3.5
A book about revenge on an incel-like wizard after being killed by misogynistic violence sounds cool and exciting, but I had a hard time with this book.
I did like the premise, and I was surprised to see that it never went where I expected. This isn't a story that follows tropes or genre expectations, so it stays unpredictable. I also liked Catherine a lot. She's very individualized, a character who feels like her own person, but but she still feels relatable. She's so much a person, not a character or a force of nature, that she almost feels mundane.
The thing is, the mundanity of Catherine, and the way in which the story follows no expected direction, makes it feel very slow. It's not paced quickly, and there isn't a clear arc being followed, nor one that's plotted in order to keep you invested. It just sort of.... continues. Honestly, I struggled to stay interested in this book, and having come into this with the expectation of "cool and exciting", I wound up feeling like it was even slower than it was.
The way this story is told is also a little odd- past tense to when Catherine was alive, past tense while Catherine's a ghost, and then present day. While the "present day" section's mysteriousness does get you a little closer to understanding the point of this story, every time we went back to Catherine's life it took me out of the flow of the story- something I actively resented, as it was taking me so much effort to have gotten into the flow in the first place. It's a shame, too, because Catherine's life isn't uninteresting. I think the way in which these timelines and POVs were put together lacked a flow.
On one hand, I did come away with some opinions and interest in the story, but on the other, I didn't enjoy my reading experience, and I don't know that I'd recommend it....more
I received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: homophobia & fatphobia, abuse & threats of suicide, homophobic hate crime 3
D&D and GSAs do seem to have a pretty brI received an ARC from Edelweiss TW: homophobia & fatphobia, abuse & threats of suicide, homophobic hate crime 3
D&D and GSAs do seem to have a pretty broad overlap, and this book plays into that. Honestly, I think that's the best thing about this story, and it could have played into it even more. I liked seeing the queerness and research into queerness alongside the nerdy aspects. I also liked how the campaign reflected the actual story and, in particular, Art' personal struggle.
However, this wasn't written in a very deft way. There are a lot things here that felt like they could have been unpacked, and a lot that seems to disappear when it is convenient. Nothing is tied together very well, there isn't much of a flow. In fact, the main problem is a feeling of flatness. The story, for one, but especially the characters. The characters are not 3 dimensional and don't seem to have that much emotion to them. For those reasons, and some plot reasons, the romance also really just doesn't work. It is built on close to nothing, and gives the reader little to care about....more
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