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toodoorcc's review against another edition
5.0
Really good but I felt like Reed’s part was still unanswered, like where is he? Why wasn’t he answering emails? What’s the back story on him and her mom?
mugsandpugs's review
3.0
Hmm... So, this was a bit of a mixed bag. I enjoyed it a lot, but it wasn't as good as the first. (The first 40-50% or so was good, though! It was mostly the ending that was a letdown.) It suffers from what all prequals suffer from: A lack of tension. We already KNOW how things will end up, so...
But, fine; it's the journey, not the destination.
I like Brooklyn as a character... mostly. I like how she's independent and driven and has her heart in the right place... SHE started the youth "help" hotline. She tries to help people, in a direct (if ill-advised) way. Sometimes her stupidity surpassed "well, she's a teenager" impulsiveness, though... I don't care how stubborn and plucky you are; if a man you tell the damn police! You tell your parents, you go to the hospital... Why the hell WOULDN'T you?! Her reasoning is weak... So her parents would be mad??? Okay; so you get grounded. So what!
Not to mention, things started to get formulaic fast. Brooklyn has a hallucination, she freaks out, other people come, it turns out not to be real. Repeat ad nauseum. And she went from making impulsive/foolish choices to making flat-out DUMB choices by the end. (Stay in the damn HOUSE, Brooklyn; don't go into the goddamn woods!)
(I am way, way too gay for the heterosexual nonsense, by the way. So the boy is cute; DON'T GO OFF ALONE WITH HIM, IDIOT. Not under these circumstances. Why are you getting so worked up over boys you barely know?! Is this really how straight people act?)
I had this issue with the first book, but it feels like the author sometimes just throws in horror clichés for the hell of it. Creepy dolls? Sure! Roaches and bleeding walls? Why not! Running around and twisting your ankle in the woods? Well of COURSE! Sigh. It's not scary if there's no point behind it! Just having a creepy thing for no reason doesn't add anything in a literary medium (in a visual medium, maybe).
Finally... I wish I could talk to Vega and be like, "Can you tell me which side you're on?" Because the demons do horrible, violent things, but so does the Christian cult. Who am I supposed to root for, here? The implication that a teenager is "evil" for... What, shoplifting lipstick? Leaving the man who'd attacked and tried to kill her to burn? That's ridiculous. I'm choosing to believe that was just the demon trying to gaslight her into embracing it by convincing her she was "obviously" already evil, when she OBVIOUSLY wasn't... But if Vega ACTUALLY THINKS that a little shoplifting makes someone evil, then we've got bigger issues here.
(Also: I'm fine with teenagers fooling around with other teenagers, but teens fooling around with adults is SUPER ewie. Am I supposed to find Elijah endearing when he openly admits to going after a, quote, "hot teenager"? Sick. Go after someone your own age, pedo. See what I mean when I say there's no characters to root for? Aside from Dierdre, I guess.)
I think book 1's strongest point was that it (mostly) took place in a single night, and it had that "is she or isn't she" element re: the demon. Sofia was doing the best she could with limited information. But stretching the story out over multiple days, when we know how it will end, just makes all of Brooklyn's fuck-ups feel more frustrating.
HHHH. But I still enjoyed it too much to give it less than 3 stars. I read it all, and fast, and am excited to read more in the series.
But, fine; it's the journey, not the destination.
I like Brooklyn as a character... mostly. I like how she's independent and driven and has her heart in the right place... SHE started the youth "help" hotline. She tries to help people, in a direct (if ill-advised) way. Sometimes her stupidity surpassed "well, she's a teenager" impulsiveness, though... I don't care how stubborn and plucky you are; if a man
Spoiler
kidnaps you, drugs you, beats you, and attempts to drown you,Not to mention, things started to get formulaic fast. Brooklyn has a hallucination, she freaks out, other people come, it turns out not to be real. Repeat ad nauseum. And she went from making impulsive/foolish choices to making flat-out DUMB choices by the end. (Stay in the damn HOUSE, Brooklyn; don't go into the goddamn woods!)
(I am way, way too gay for the heterosexual nonsense, by the way. So the boy is cute; DON'T GO OFF ALONE WITH HIM, IDIOT. Not under these circumstances. Why are you getting so worked up over boys you barely know?! Is this really how straight people act?)
I had this issue with the first book, but it feels like the author sometimes just throws in horror clichés for the hell of it. Creepy dolls? Sure! Roaches and bleeding walls? Why not! Running around and twisting your ankle in the woods? Well of COURSE! Sigh. It's not scary if there's no point behind it! Just having a creepy thing for no reason doesn't add anything in a literary medium (in a visual medium, maybe).
Finally... I wish I could talk to Vega and be like, "Can you tell me which side you're on?" Because the demons do horrible, violent things, but so does the Christian cult. Who am I supposed to root for, here? The implication that a teenager is "evil" for... What, shoplifting lipstick? Leaving the man who'd attacked and tried to kill her to burn? That's ridiculous. I'm choosing to believe that was just the demon trying to gaslight her into embracing it by convincing her she was "obviously" already evil, when she OBVIOUSLY wasn't... But if Vega ACTUALLY THINKS that a little shoplifting makes someone evil, then we've got bigger issues here.
(Also: I'm fine with teenagers fooling around with other teenagers, but teens fooling around with adults is SUPER ewie. Am I supposed to find Elijah endearing when he openly admits to going after a, quote, "hot teenager"? Sick. Go after someone your own age, pedo. See what I mean when I say there's no characters to root for? Aside from Dierdre, I guess.)
I think book 1's strongest point was that it (mostly) took place in a single night, and it had that "is she or isn't she" element re: the demon. Sofia was doing the best she could with limited information. But stretching the story out over multiple days, when we know how it will end, just makes all of Brooklyn's fuck-ups feel more frustrating.
HHHH. But I still enjoyed it too much to give it less than 3 stars. I read it all, and fast, and am excited to read more in the series.
haileyannereads's review against another edition
4.0
I was really excited when I saw that this was going to be an origin story. I was starting to doubt it about halfway through because it seemed like it was going to be the same story as the first two, but it wasn't. It was really interesting to see how the characters got to where they are in the first book. There were also some fun "Easter egg" type things in there for those who have read the other books. Overall, I think it was a great addition to the series.
leaf01's review against another edition
5.0
i love this series so much.
i kind of feel bad for brooklyn cause she just wanted to help a girl she thought was being beat and now she’s a whole ass demon
i really liked that we got to see brooklyns backstory cause i was honestly curious on how that happened
really good book!
i kind of feel bad for brooklyn cause she just wanted to help a girl she thought was being beat and now she’s a whole ass demon
i really liked that we got to see brooklyns backstory cause i was honestly curious on how that happened
really good book!
ssolerrojas's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
cryptidtinkerer's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
holly_spencer's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely loved this book, just as I did the first two in the series! I’d been wondering how Brooklyn became evil, and now I finally know. Time to start the final book to see how it all ends! 10/10 recommend! Kept me on the edge of my seat, especially the second half of the book. I kept trying to piece the story together as I read it, wondering how things would end. Danielle Vega continued to keep me wondering as all my predictions were wrong! Loved it.
vavocado's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
meganhardesty's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars across the board for this series so far.
I have really enjoyed the differing atmosphere in each book, with the first being Mean-Girls-meets-The-Exorcist, the second being tied into dark academia vibes, and the third focusing on a normal girl who gets tangled up in a lot of weird s**t involving a weird church and a creepy pastor/son combo.
I was super excited to read a Brooklyn-centric story, too. She might not make the best decisions (the influence of demonic possession and all that jazz), but she’s such a great character. Vega has this knack for writing really interesting female characters that resonate with me, while also writing gross, obsessive, easily-despised men that you just love to hate.
As I move onto the fourth book, I really don’t have many complaints so far. The stories do feel a little rushed, but in the heat of the moment, it just adds to the urgency of every situation. These are quick, easy reads for people who don’t mind sometimes-graphic scenes of torture.
I have really enjoyed the differing atmosphere in each book, with the first being Mean-Girls-meets-The-Exorcist, the second being tied into dark academia vibes, and the third focusing on a normal girl who gets tangled up in a lot of weird s**t involving a weird church and a creepy pastor/son combo.
I was super excited to read a Brooklyn-centric story, too. She might not make the best decisions (the influence of demonic possession and all that jazz), but she’s such a great character. Vega has this knack for writing really interesting female characters that resonate with me, while also writing gross, obsessive, easily-despised men that you just love to hate.
As I move onto the fourth book, I really don’t have many complaints so far. The stories do feel a little rushed, but in the heat of the moment, it just adds to the urgency of every situation. These are quick, easy reads for people who don’t mind sometimes-graphic scenes of torture.