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bethaneekay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Classism
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
searchandrescueteam's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The first in this Scholomance trilogy - I found it very difficult to engage with it initially. As the author builds the Scholomance environment it is dark and deathly and fast-moving. Encouraged by others who had read it, I kept going.
Suddenly I simply became immersed in it. And it was worth persisting. The world built here is intricately described in the narrator’s matter-of-fact style - that is a constant guide for the reader.
The narrator's reflection on her time at “mundane” school and the way those experiences built her expectations of relationships and friendships in the future is poignant and important.
By the end I was hungering for the next one.
Suddenly I simply became immersed in it. And it was worth persisting. The world built here is intricately described in the narrator’s matter-of-fact style - that is a constant guide for the reader.
The narrator's reflection on her time at “mundane” school and the way those experiences built her expectations of relationships and friendships in the future is poignant and important.
By the end I was hungering for the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
amarreth's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Violence
bunnypunk's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Racism, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
readwithsophsx's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
lilysweetdreams's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Orignal rating 3.5, bumped up to 4 on a reread.
Original review: I didn't like this as much as I expected to; all the reviews I've heard have been glowing and I enjoyed it but I didn't love it. My going-in-blind approach gave me an impression of a classic magic school fantasy novel, maybe historical fantasy even. Instead, what I got was was magic boarding school, if magic boarding school was a prison and also full of monsters doing their level best to kill you.
Which admittedly is a fun concept.
I liked the way lore was presented, tidbits here and there and explanation through anecdote. It's well written and well thought out and I appreciated the world building that's gone into it. I also am a big fan of the 'chosen one is not the protagonist' bit. It's both hilarious and fascinating to see the overpowered trope-y main character be pushed aside for, in this case, an apocalypse contained in a girl who very much does not want to end the world.
My biggest problem was the plot, or rather the lack thereof. We meandered through this story, learning about its setting and its characters, completely undriven for 4/5s of the pages. There's no enemy or big problem to be solved right up until the end, and even then it feels like a midway checkpoint rather than a finish line. It's true that in trilogies or other multi part stories the climaxes in the initial books have to be smaller in order to build up to the big finale, but I didn't feel any groundwork being laid for that at all. The only ongoing threads I can find are El's great-grandma's world ending prophecy and the unexplained source of why Orion is the way he is. I'd gladly be proved wrong and find that all the foreshadowing is just really well hidden, but at this stage I just don't feel it.
Regardless, it was a fun read with an entertaining narrator and a complex, developed setting. Plus, I read the Naomi Novak's bio at the end and found out she's a founder of Archive of Our Own and the OTW, so that definitely scores some bonus points for me!
2024 reread: I didn't have trouble finding the plot this time! Granted I've read book 2 at this point, but it was much easier to just lock in for the ride and enjoy the writing. It DID still meander, but for a lazy holiday read that's completely fine. Rating bumped up to 4 stars.
Original review: I didn't like this as much as I expected to; all the reviews I've heard have been glowing and I enjoyed it but I didn't love it. My going-in-blind approach gave me an impression of a classic magic school fantasy novel, maybe historical fantasy even. Instead, what I got was was magic boarding school, if magic boarding school was a prison and also full of monsters doing their level best to kill you.
Which admittedly is a fun concept.
I liked the way lore was presented, tidbits here and there and explanation through anecdote. It's well written and well thought out and I appreciated the world building that's gone into it. I also am a big fan of the 'chosen one is not the protagonist' bit. It's both hilarious and fascinating to see the overpowered trope-y main character be pushed aside for, in this case, an apocalypse contained in a girl who very much does not want to end the world.
My biggest problem was the plot, or rather the lack thereof. We meandered through this story, learning about its setting and its characters, completely undriven for 4/5s of the pages. There's no enemy or big problem to be solved right up until the end, and even then it feels like a midway checkpoint rather than a finish line. It's true that in trilogies or other multi part stories the climaxes in the initial books have to be smaller in order to build up to the big finale, but I didn't feel any groundwork being laid for that at all. The only ongoing threads I can find are El's great-grandma's world ending prophecy and the unexplained source of why Orion is the way he is. I'd gladly be proved wrong and find that all the foreshadowing is just really well hidden, but at this stage I just don't feel it.
Regardless, it was a fun read with an entertaining narrator and a complex, developed setting. Plus, I read the Naomi Novak's bio at the end and found out she's a founder of Archive of Our Own and the OTW, so that definitely scores some bonus points for me!
2024 reread: I didn't have trouble finding the plot this time! Granted I've read book 2 at this point, but it was much easier to just lock in for the ride and enjoy the writing. It DID still meander, but for a lazy holiday read that's completely fine. Rating bumped up to 4 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Violence
holliesatchell's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
pianokeys's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
ashley_reya's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
So many people came up to me while I was reading this and said, “That’s on my list!” And boy does it deserve its spot.
El has such a strong voice as our narrator and I fell in love quite instantly with her witty remarks and comebacks. She is so funny and honest, her viewpoint and sarcasm are infectious. It did take me a second to remember some of her classmates names, but we got there! 😅
Novik has written a lovely coming of age tale that really dives into the complex dynamics of friendship and deciding how you want to interact with the world. Which, as I get older, seems to be what it’s all about.
El has such a strong voice as our narrator and I fell in love quite instantly with her witty remarks and comebacks. She is so funny and honest, her viewpoint and sarcasm are infectious. It did take me a second to remember some of her classmates names, but we got there! 😅
Novik has written a lovely coming of age tale that really dives into the complex dynamics of friendship and deciding how you want to interact with the world. Which, as I get older, seems to be what it’s all about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Murder and Classism
figsofpeach's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent