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ilostyourphone's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bwild27's review against another edition
I am having a hard time following with the female narrator’s accent. I may try to read the book at some point instead.
bookmaniacforever's review against another edition
2.0
I'm sad to admit it, but Fable and Other Lies wasn't for me. I was intrigued by this story from the blurb only and the first few chapters had me invested, but I ultimatedly couldn't connect with the characters at all and I got bored pretty quickly. I almost didn't finish my read, but was still curious about the mystery surrounding Pan Island and its fables so I skimmed over the second half of the book to get the answers I was seeking. It was a disapointing read for me as I expected to love this novel! I'll concede that I've been struggling recently with most of my reads, so my appreciation of this book could be related to this book funk I'm in.
paperbackposts's review against another edition
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? No
3.0
_krys_'s review against another edition
3.0
╰┈➤ 3 stars
“What are you?” I asked after a moment. “What are you, really?”
“Yours. If you’ll have me.”
synopsis:
Do you believe in curses?
I never did.
Not until that fated night, six years ago, when I sat in The Devil’s Chair and made a wish.
Not until it came true.
Not until I met River Caliban himself, heir to a fortune of curses. My fated sworn enemy.
I knew I should have stayed away from him. I should have run the other way when he called out my name, when he flashed that sinful smile of his, but instead, I walked toward him, leaving the light behind. Instead, I go against all reason, against all warning, and attended the gala of the year at his dark, allegedly haunted home at the top of the hill.
The moment I step foot inside I know I’m in trouble, but there’s something about River that magnetizes me, reels me in, and when he asks for the impossible, I find it impossible to turn him away.
. . . . . ╰──╮ ╭──╯ . . . . .
This was the type of book in which the vibes were much better than the actual idea of the book. The storyline and characters were amazing but i just feel like the romance and ending was a bit rushed. Some books should be left without a happy ending, i said what i said 🤷🏼♀️ when there was like 5 pages in the book, the entire thing.. just.. changed? idek 😭 This kept me on my toes for the entirety of the book but even after the ending i didn't quite get answers for some of the questions.
Because of the length of the book, i feel like the character development wasn't done well.
Some scenes felt a little unclear and all over the place. But i do appreciate the representation in this one! It's set on an island in the Dominican Rebuplic so we're getting the Latin representation.
Aside from that, the writing was great, each word, each paragraph flowed into the next. The setting and dialogues were also amazing.
I never did.
Not until that fated night, six years ago, when I sat in The Devil’s Chair and made a wish.
Not until it came true.
Not until I met River Caliban himself, heir to a fortune of curses. My fated sworn enemy.
I knew I should have stayed away from him. I should have run the other way when he called out my name, when he flashed that sinful smile of his, but instead, I walked toward him, leaving the light behind. Instead, I go against all reason, against all warning, and attended the gala of the year at his dark, allegedly haunted home at the top of the hill.
The moment I step foot inside I know I’m in trouble, but there’s something about River that magnetizes me, reels me in, and when he asks for the impossible, I find it impossible to turn him away.
. . . . . ╰──╮ ╭──╯ . . . . .
This was the type of book in which the vibes were much better than the actual idea of the book. The storyline and characters were amazing but i just feel like the romance and ending was a bit rushed. Some books should be left without a happy ending, i said what i said 🤷🏼♀️ when there was like 5 pages in the book, the entire thing.. just.. changed? idek 😭 This kept me on my toes for the entirety of the book but even after the ending i didn't quite get answers for some of the questions.
Because of the length of the book, i feel like the character development wasn't done well.
Some scenes felt a little unclear and all over the place. But i do appreciate the representation in this one! It's set on an island in the Dominican Rebuplic so we're getting the Latin representation.
Aside from that, the writing was great, each word, each paragraph flowed into the next. The setting and dialogues were also amazing.
witchy_book_babe's review against another edition
3.0
I thought that this started out really strong…and am actually quite sad that I wasn’t able to love this book. The writing was off balanced for me.
tammys_readinglog's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
3.0
courtney_saba's review against another edition
3.0
It was good. Ultimately, I'm afraid it may be forgettable.
I loved the Devil concept, curse theme, fables and tales of history, diversity of characters, and River himself.
However, I couldn't disregard the ambiguity, unanswered questions, vague explanations, and super slow pace. Plus, the improbable happily ever after and instalove despite the history were hard to believe. I don't know if I fully believed the love story either. Penelope's unwillingness to believe despite people's warnings and true evidence was annoying, too.
If this book had addressed the points above, then this would have been a 5 star read. Some readers may really like this story, especially because it is original, even though the author used these tropes: making a deal with the devil, feuding families, Romeo and Juliet esque, falling in love instead of the original revenge path. Contreras made it readable and entertaining.
Would I re-read this? Despite some really great quotes, I would not.
Would I recommend this book? Sure. But only if someone was okay with ambiguity and wishes to read some Devil fodder.
Was I entertained? Contreras did a good job, so yes.
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.
I loved the Devil concept, curse theme, fables and tales of history, diversity of characters, and River himself.
However, I couldn't disregard the ambiguity, unanswered questions, vague explanations, and super slow pace. Plus, the improbable happily ever after and instalove despite the history were hard to believe. I don't know if I fully believed the love story either. Penelope's unwillingness to believe despite people's warnings and true evidence was annoying, too.
If this book had addressed the points above, then this would have been a 5 star read. Some readers may really like this story, especially because it is original, even though the author used these tropes: making a deal with the devil, feuding families, Romeo and Juliet esque, falling in love instead of the original revenge path. Contreras made it readable and entertaining.
Would I re-read this? Despite some really great quotes, I would not.
Would I recommend this book? Sure. But only if someone was okay with ambiguity and wishes to read some Devil fodder.
Was I entertained? Contreras did a good job, so yes.
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.