prunechips's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Classism, and Confinement
Moderate: Murder
ali_k0's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
It's a quick read if that's what you're looking for, but grips your throat on the first page and never lets go. Revolution, possession, plots, spies, secret histories and more.
Also, this book has one of the most memorable and believable enemies to lovers arcs I've read in a while.
Graphic: Death, Child death, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, and Classism
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Grief, and Blood
renaaria's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Confinement, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Classism, and Body horror
bimess_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'm someone that grows tired of that. When you spend too much time describing something that with a few sentences was enough.
But I picked the book right up and finished it. It gets better after page 269? Around there. Which is disappointing to me. However, as the story got where it should've been before, I saw myself enjoying it. It got better and better at the end. I wish that it didn't take till the last minute for the story to actually begin.
the characters: I loved the fact but her relationship with her love interest didn't make any sense. Not one that was properly told. By the end of the book you kinda get the gist but it didn't really made me feel anything. The timeline for their relationship also bothered me.
The other characters? I loved them all to be honest. I wish we had more of them. But we were all stuck inside the head of our fmc.
Overall, I'm not going to lie. I love this book. I have my own issues with it but I loved it. I will be getting the second book when it releases next month.
For those who wish to read it or about to give up: Keep in mind that the story is slow. And that the relationships won't make sense but it's worth it. Those final chapters? Had me at the edge of my bed.
I do hope the second book's storytelling is much faster. Less focused on the descriptions of the world around them. More focused on their connections. That's my hope for it.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Classism, and Suicide
jassieex's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent and Violence
Moderate: Classism
hayy6747's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Classism
annorabrady's review
Additionally, the story includes genocide and despite the FMC directly being tied to people who were victims of the genocide and her enemy being the person responsible for said genocide, there are strong indications that this story is going to be an enemies to lovers story. And that's just not my speed. Enemies to lovers when the enemies is due to personal distrust or misunderstandings is one thing. Enemies to lovers when one partner is actively evil is another thing entirely. Especially since he's years older than her and she's only 17.
Graphic: Vomit, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Genocide, Death of parent, Death, Ableism, War, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
leweylibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Classism and Death of parent
darbysbookland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, and Death of parent
fromthefoxhole's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'm an unfortunate sucker for the chosen one girl in a YA trope (thank you, Katniss) and this one really hammers that into you.
1. Vesper (like even the name, come on!!)
2. lives in an area affected by The Storm, and her Region™️ is the last one on the outskirts closest to it, and it's the poorest region.
3. she's not trained in the Magic System™️ but she loves it
4. there's a rich boy who takes pity on her bc of something having to do with the Government™️
5. she has a family tie that creates a vengeance arc so she finds her way to the Capital™️
7. circumstances arise that lead to her working with the rich boy (she thinks that maybe she underestimated him)
8. they're thrown into the Gauntlet™️
9. Alliances are formed and broken, promises are stretched thin, betrayals - how could I ever love someone like You™️?
10. One of them either dies/falls into a coma and the last thing they see is their Enemy?™️
It's like, everything that is tired and we're supposed to hate. BUT- Truly I'm not sure if I'm just, like, giving the book more grace than it's due. BUT-
I think I always give more leeway to a first book, knowing that the author likely has planned arcs over the multiples rather than the individual, so I wanted to suspend my belief, y'know? I didn't mind the questions I had about the magic system, or the politics, etc. I felt like this book very intentionally only gave us the pieces that were given to Vesper. We're *supposed* to feel a little lost in a world we don't fully understand, because that's how Vesper feels in the Ven. I found myself tabbing something as important, then coming across a related thing and running back to the note like, proud of myself that I had called it. It was rewarding to piece things together with Vesper.
I ate up her friendship with the boys,
Spoiler
like, so much so that I was in tears at work towards the end of this bookSomething about the writing, the fluidity of the story, drew me in and held me for the two full days it took me to read this. Any time I had to stop reading, I found myself counting the minutes until I could pick it back up. I was fully entranced the entire time. Freaking witchcraft.
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide, War, Violence, Classism, Grief, Confinement, Blood, and Body horror