lenoreo's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars -- totally not what I was expecting... Not that I had a lot of expectations for the book, but it was unique for me. I think I gravitate towards books with more of a romance plot, so this one was outside the norm in that aspect too. Was really the story of Mandy coming to terms with herself and some things in the past....with a bit of a mystical bent to spice things up. Definitely entertaining, but I had a hard time not cringing on some of the behaviors of Lexi and eventually even Mandy to a small degree.... I'm sure I was supposed to, but it hit my personal sensitivity threshold and I was on the verge of not making it through. So in the end I had a hard time forgiving Lexi and letting it be....bit too psychotic and malevolent for me.
weshbar's review against another edition
5.0
What a fun read! While it was the teensiest bit slow for me in the beginning, I really believe that must have been me (too tired, too hungry, too 95-degree-day-hot) and not the book. I picked it up the second day and read it straight through. I loved the characters and the intriguing backstory. I loved the voice and the romance. And I loved how it all tied together.
I'm looking forward to more of Desiree - she must be in book two, yes? Mistress of the Wish Makers and all that? Please more Desiree.
I'm looking forward to more of Desiree - she must be in book two, yes? Mistress of the Wish Makers and all that? Please more Desiree.
thefox22's review
2.0
*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me...," We've all heard the saying; hell, I believe it. It's what hooked me to read this book initially. And then when I read the synopsis, I knew I wanted it. However, I was really disappointed with it.
Rating: 2 Stars!
I didn't care for the main character. She was whiny, self-absorbed, judgmental, and childish. There is a lot of slut shaming and drama and mean girl sightings. Sure, it's high school and teens will be teens. But I found it annoying, and I did not like how Mandy handled most of it. I liked her POV a lot in the beginning, but it slowly started to go downhill once she became more about the gossip and boys and the drama between her and Lexi. I barely saw any character development.
I was indifferent about the romance. I liked that Mandy's crush noticed her, but it just seemed out of the blue. It's one of those the main character never realized how beautiful she was until the guy of her dreams said he liked her moments. And I just didn't feel the chemistry between them.
The plot didn't feel very deep to me, and neither did the relationships between the characters. Lexi's and Mandy's a little bit, but not until the very end. While the story-line alludes to some mystery from Mandy's past, it's not really mentioned. And after finding out what it was, I still didn't feel any strong emotions about it, from myself and from the main character.
I've come to realize that this is one of those it's not you, it's me cases. I think a lot of people will like this one. It just wasn't for me.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me...," We've all heard the saying; hell, I believe it. It's what hooked me to read this book initially. And then when I read the synopsis, I knew I wanted it. However, I was really disappointed with it.
Rating: 2 Stars!
I didn't care for the main character. She was whiny, self-absorbed, judgmental, and childish. There is a lot of slut shaming and drama and mean girl sightings. Sure, it's high school and teens will be teens. But I found it annoying, and I did not like how Mandy handled most of it. I liked her POV a lot in the beginning, but it slowly started to go downhill once she became more about the gossip and boys and the drama between her and Lexi. I barely saw any character development.
I was indifferent about the romance. I liked that Mandy's crush noticed her, but it just seemed out of the blue. It's one of those the main character never realized how beautiful she was until the guy of her dreams said he liked her moments. And I just didn't feel the chemistry between them.
The plot didn't feel very deep to me, and neither did the relationships between the characters. Lexi's and Mandy's a little bit, but not until the very end. While the story-line alludes to some mystery from Mandy's past, it's not really mentioned. And after finding out what it was, I still didn't feel any strong emotions about it, from myself and from the main character.
I've come to realize that this is one of those it's not you, it's me cases. I think a lot of people will like this one. It just wasn't for me.
inlibrisveritas's review
4.0
Sticks and Stones is a light paranormal fantasy book with a huge emphasis on facing your past, overcoming fears and pressure, and truly living for yourself. This was another impulse download during one of my stress induced freebie one-click fests, and I put it high on my list of books to get to because of Utopya this year and I’m so glad I did.
This is a true “coming of age” story, where a wish starts a the main character on an unexpectedly hard journey to find the happiness she wants more than anything. Mandy is a hard working girl who enjoys cooking but is incredibly caught up in doing everything right, a mistake means anguish and she just wants to be able to let go of the need to be perfect. I totally understood and loved Mandy. I get her desire to do everything right, to stay on everyone’s good side, and to stay quiet…and I get why it causes her so much sadness. And when her wish takes on a life of it’s own and becomes hard to death with, I was really rooting for her to keep pushing forward. I really liked getting to know Lexi, even when she started to make me wary because it was cool to see the side of Mandy she keeps tucked away as a tangible person. Plus who doesn’t like a genie story? Desiree, the wish granter in question, is given some depth of her own and I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were a few chapters here and there going over her past and just how difficult granting wishes can be for her. I’m happy with the way the book ended because I can’t wait to see more of her and of Mandy’s friend Chrissy.
I wouldn’t call this book an ‘easy’ or ‘fluff’ read as it does deal with a lot of different issues, but it’s definitely one of those books capable of making you smile and wanting the best for everyone. There is a lot of female directed cattiness in this one, and normally it really bothers me but I think this book showed a real purpose to it and reminded me why I hate it so much…because it really does happen, especially in high school. Maguire’s writing is easy to dive into and get lost in, and definitely makes me want to find more books by her to devour.
Sticks and Stones is great for those who enjoy contemporary with a little fantasy twist, and like seeing characters tackle those tough moments where they have to focus and improve themselves before being able to find true happiness.
This is a true “coming of age” story, where a wish starts a the main character on an unexpectedly hard journey to find the happiness she wants more than anything. Mandy is a hard working girl who enjoys cooking but is incredibly caught up in doing everything right, a mistake means anguish and she just wants to be able to let go of the need to be perfect. I totally understood and loved Mandy. I get her desire to do everything right, to stay on everyone’s good side, and to stay quiet…and I get why it causes her so much sadness. And when her wish takes on a life of it’s own and becomes hard to death with, I was really rooting for her to keep pushing forward. I really liked getting to know Lexi, even when she started to make me wary because it was cool to see the side of Mandy she keeps tucked away as a tangible person. Plus who doesn’t like a genie story? Desiree, the wish granter in question, is given some depth of her own and I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were a few chapters here and there going over her past and just how difficult granting wishes can be for her. I’m happy with the way the book ended because I can’t wait to see more of her and of Mandy’s friend Chrissy.
I wouldn’t call this book an ‘easy’ or ‘fluff’ read as it does deal with a lot of different issues, but it’s definitely one of those books capable of making you smile and wanting the best for everyone. There is a lot of female directed cattiness in this one, and normally it really bothers me but I think this book showed a real purpose to it and reminded me why I hate it so much…because it really does happen, especially in high school. Maguire’s writing is easy to dive into and get lost in, and definitely makes me want to find more books by her to devour.
Sticks and Stones is great for those who enjoy contemporary with a little fantasy twist, and like seeing characters tackle those tough moments where they have to focus and improve themselves before being able to find true happiness.
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