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booksalabrooke's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
oddball08's review against another edition
2.0
This book had a lot of potential. It was on my tbr list for a while and I’m going through a reading kick so I was excited to start.
The summery 10/10
The writing 9/10 it’s well written and flows nicely when not being repeated.
I stopped reading at page 40 because Waverly— the mc— just wouldn’t stop repeating about how she was autistic and gay. As someone who fits into both categories it made me annoyed how she was going on and on about how she was autistic yet didn’t actually show any signs of being autistic. It seemed like she fit more into the social awkward group which I understand can be a sign of autism but it just irked me.
And she consistently talked about how she was this scholarship kid etc and it all felt very redundant and forced in a way that writing really shouldn’t be.
The summery 10/10
The writing 9/10 it’s well written and flows nicely when not being repeated.
I stopped reading at page 40 because Waverly— the mc— just wouldn’t stop repeating about how she was autistic and gay. As someone who fits into both categories it made me annoyed how she was going on and on about how she was autistic yet didn’t actually show any signs of being autistic. It seemed like she fit more into the social awkward group which I understand can be a sign of autism but it just irked me.
And she consistently talked about how she was this scholarship kid etc and it all felt very redundant and forced in a way that writing really shouldn’t be.
thepaperbackbruncher's review
3.0
This book on paper (pun intended) has all the things I love- an elite private school, a masquerade ball, and a sense of impending doom.
SPOILER FREE review > I will say I felt like for the high stakes, for me, there wasn't a big payoff. With the ending of the book, I was wanting more- not as in another book, but more from the ending itself. It felt too rushed at the ending, and not very satisyfing. I would try this author again though!
*E-book copy gifted by Netgalley/Wednesday Books - thank you! All opinions/reviews are my own.
SPOILER FREE review > I will say I felt like for the high stakes, for me, there wasn't a big payoff. With the ending of the book, I was wanting more- not as in another book, but more from the ending itself. It felt too rushed at the ending, and not very satisyfing. I would try this author again though!
*E-book copy gifted by Netgalley/Wednesday Books - thank you! All opinions/reviews are my own.
whitneys_bookstack's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
thebookberrie's review against another edition
Gonna be honest I made it to like 80% before I decided to just yeet.
ajay913's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, and Classism
solly's review against another edition
3.0
This is unfortunately my least favourite Jen Wilde and I love all of Jen Wilde's books
anngarth8's review against another edition
1.0
A series of ridiculous caricatures. Ok, we get it, you have some critiques of white cishet able-bodied male capitalism. I do too, but that doesn’t make this story realistic.
lochnessvhs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
The main thing that this book has working against it is it's cover, which suggests a Gossip Girl-style story with a twist. But that's not what this book is about at all.
The tonal shift after the first 1/3 is abrupt. We are seeing the world of an elite prep school from a scholorship-kid's POV (who is a lesbian with autism, which was INCREDIBLE), and all of a sudden...there are secret societies and murders and the world is literally ending from a solar flare.
It's not what you felt like you were being set up for at all. And I think that could be a good thing OR a bad thing, but for me it felt like when you're taking a drink of something and expect it to be Diet Coke but it was actually Mt. Dew and your brain short-circuits for a second.
The tonal shift after the first 1/3 is abrupt. We are seeing the world of an elite prep school from a scholorship-kid's POV (who is a lesbian with autism, which was INCREDIBLE), and all of a sudden...there are secret societies and murders and the world is literally ending from a solar flare.
It's not what you felt like you were being set up for at all. And I think that could be a good thing OR a bad thing, but for me it felt like when you're taking a drink of something and expect it to be Diet Coke but it was actually Mt. Dew and your brain short-circuits for a second.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, and Classism
cashewenemy's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0