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beckyyreadss's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
3.0
I wanted to read this book because I enjoyed the other books by Candice Carty-Williams, this book was in Waterstones during one of my visits and I couldn’t resist. It was a very quick and adorable read.
When Empress starts at Aniya’s school, they’re not exactly best friends. Aniya is the Queen Bee at school, who never has to worry about where her next meal is, her only biggest worry is making sure she gets good grades and to live up to her parents' expectations. Empress is the opposite, she has a neglectful mother, a dad who is nowhere to be seen, she is expected to look after her little brother, and she can barely afford her school lunch. She is now at a preppy school where she is keeping her head down and trying to get through the day. On her first day at school, she gets an assigned friend of Aniya where she needs to show the ropes of the school. But the two teenage girls get closers and on their 16th birthday, they end up accidentally casting a spell and ended up switching bodies and they quickly learn that friendship is the most important magic of all. South London’s answer to ‘Freaky Friday”, Empress and Aniya is a moving portrayal of the importance of real relationship and the ups and downs of being a teenager.
I loved the idea of this book, and I loved these two main characters. It was easy to get into. And the plot was easy to follow. Both characters were both very developed for such a short book. I liked how they discussed serious topics within a short time, and it showed that you never know what is going on in someone’s life and to not make insensitive jokes, I would have loved for the subjects to have been discussed more deeply, it was just slightly mentioned and then moved on.
I think the thing that I struggled with was because it was so short, a lot was glossed over, and I would have loved more. I wanted to know how Empress did once she was settled at Aniya’s house and how did Aniya’s friends react. Did Aniya stop being friends with Dani and Bolu because of how mean they were being? Did Empress’s mum fight to get her back after she had settled at home? I just wanted it longer. I felt like at times especially during the school chapters was that they were talking like they were twelve or thirteen when these girls were fifteen/sixteen, like you should be worrying about exams and your future not some girl's appearance and how she is acting.
I would love to see how these girls are getting on at university and how Pauline is doing, maybe we could get a sequel soon
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Classism
Minor: Sexism and Sexual harassment
hjb_128's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Racism, and Classism
Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexism and Sexual harassment
crystalmethany's review against another edition
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, and Classism
Minor: Sexual harassment
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