slowreader7f3b1's review
1.0
So, I read the Dark Artifices first, which I understand to have been written almost 10 years after the TMI series, but I find DA to be far superior.
Regarding the 1-star rating: This book presents both anti-Semitic and anti-gender-confirming-dress comments as "humor". I'm reading the second book now, only because I'm assuming the author learned from their mistakes, since I didn't see any of that in the later Dark Artifices series--in fact, without spoiling, the tolerance seems to have grown by leaps and bounds. Still, it felt like a slap to spot both kinds of comments presented as "good natured fun" in this book:
-Simon remarks that he was being funny when he was spitballing about how to offend Jewish vampires, and says something to the effect of "write a check for [low sum]" a direct nod to the anti-Semitic stereotype that Jewish people love cash.
-Later in the book, Clarissa makes a joke at the expense of individuals who wear gender-confirming dress, as if that is a bad thing. She invokes the outdated word "transvestite" with what we the readers are supposed to take as a detestable quality, apparently as bad as a "cat molester". Fucking hell.
My recommendation: Go straight to the DA series, not only is it brilliantly written, it is much more in tune with the times.
Regarding the 1-star rating: This book presents both anti-Semitic and anti-gender-confirming-dress comments as "humor". I'm reading the second book now, only because I'm assuming the author learned from their mistakes, since I didn't see any of that in the later Dark Artifices series--in fact, without spoiling, the tolerance seems to have grown by leaps and bounds. Still, it felt like a slap to spot both kinds of comments presented as "good natured fun" in this book:
-Simon remarks that he was being funny when he was spitballing about how to offend Jewish vampires, and says something to the effect of "write a check for [low sum]" a direct nod to the anti-Semitic stereotype that Jewish people love cash.
-Later in the book, Clarissa makes a joke at the expense of individuals who wear gender-confirming dress, as if that is a bad thing. She invokes the outdated word "transvestite" with what we the readers are supposed to take as a detestable quality, apparently as bad as a "cat molester". Fucking hell.
My recommendation: Go straight to the DA series, not only is it brilliantly written, it is much more in tune with the times.
leahmichelle_13's review
5.0
WHY DID IT TAKE ME SO LONG TO READ THIS SERIES? I've tried a few times, but I really need to be in the right mood to read a series like this - there's loads of books, they're big and chunky and you really need to be in the right headspace but I *loved* it this time! It was fantastic, and it's so relaxing to read a book for the sake of reading it, I've been dying to read it for weeks, since I got it and it was SO worth waiting for! Can I get to Lady Midnight by May, ready for Lord of Shadows? Only 8 books to read...
mdmiller1993's review
5.0
I was captivated throughout this whole book. It is a great read for teenagers. It was not hard to stay up until 3 AM devouring this book. I am impatient for my friend to give me the next one.
amtl73's review
2.0
I was so disappointed. I thought this was a 5 star book because so many people loved it. But...it's just not very good.