no_mourners_'s review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Sexual content, Alcohol, Violence, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Medical content, Grief, Child death, and Vomit
woweewhoa's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Minor: Classism and Death of parent
faerieoftheforest's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
3.75
I picked this book up a month ago but could not get past the first few pages. The writing was unnecessarily verbose and dense. I feel like the author used way too many descriptors to the point that some scenes were confusing and muddled. I immediately dnfed but decided to try again. I picked up right where I left off the first time. I enjoyed the story much more than before after I got used to the writing. Despite the issues I had with it, this author is definitely talented and had some very beautifully written lines. I just think it needed better editing.
The main character, Aurelia, was a little insufferable in the beginning. A little bit of "woe is me"/"nobody has it harder than me" vibes. ✨ I felt that her hatred for Teddy was uncalled for. It was to the point of obsession really and it made me uncomfortable. She was very obviously projecting her own inadequacies and resentment onto him. They would bicker for seemingly no reason. I suppose this was the point though because it gave her an opportunity to grow and be more comfortable with vulnerability. Even though she frustrated me at times, I did honestly relate to her character. She is flawed but that's what makes her human. She and Teddy were really cute together once they stopped "hating" each other. Because of the slow burn, their love felt intense and genuine. The romance is easily the best part of the book and was very well done. 💞
The plot is basically non-existent/ underwhelming. It is a very slow-paced and character-driven story. It is quiet, cozy, and magical. It mostly takes place in a cottage in a small town so there is little to no action or adventure. If it had a stronger plot and antagonist I would have easily given this five stars! I recommend if you like witches, fall/wintertime, cottagecore, and/or academic rivals to lovers.
The main character, Aurelia, was a little insufferable in the beginning. A little bit of "woe is me"/"nobody has it harder than me" vibes. ✨ I felt that her hatred for Teddy was uncalled for. It was to the point of obsession really and it made me uncomfortable. She was very obviously projecting her own inadequacies and resentment onto him. They would bicker for seemingly no reason. I suppose this was the point though because it gave her an opportunity to grow and be more comfortable with vulnerability. Even though she frustrated me at times, I did honestly relate to her character. She is flawed but that's what makes her human. She and Teddy were really cute together once they stopped "hating" each other. Because of the slow burn, their love felt intense and genuine. The romance is easily the best part of the book and was very well done. 💞
The plot is basically non-existent/ underwhelming. It is a very slow-paced and character-driven story. It is quiet, cozy, and magical. It mostly takes place in a cottage in a small town so there is little to no action or adventure. If it had a stronger plot and antagonist I would have easily given this five stars! I recommend if you like witches, fall/wintertime, cottagecore, and/or academic rivals to lovers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Animal death, Sexual content, and Murder
Moderate: Vomit
soniajoy98's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Cursing, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Classism, and Vomit
angelsfw's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Murder
Moderate: Child death and Death
Minor: Cannibalism
sophmcgraw's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing and Blood
Minor: Kidnapping, Child death, and Alcohol
inkdrinkers's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-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
"Witchcraft was a secret worth killing for."
For Aurelia Schwartz there are only two goals in life: to be top of her class at Cambridge and to keep her status as a witch secret from the humans around her. This has led to an insular life, one where even her closest friend and flatmate doesn't know who truly sleeps in the room next door. But when Aurelia finds her magic spiraling out of control from disuse and a startling murder happens during what should be a night of academic achievement - she must turn to the only boy she thought she had nothing in common with, Teddy Ingram, her academic rival who has his own golden-threaded secrets.
I was completely taken with Modern Divination from the very first page, swept away in both the magic and warmth of Isa's writing. There are so few books that get dark academia right and this one does it and then sets the bar for everything you read after it. Rory and Teddy's characters are driven by their desire to do more, to be more, and each obstacle they run into - magical or not - deliciously develops their relationship and feelings for each other. Rory, particularly, became one of my favorite female characters. She's written in such a way that just feels like Isa rooted around in my soul to pull up my darkest insecurities and threw them onto the page. Rory isn't interested in being soft or sweet, she's not here to mince words or offer an encouraging smile - she feels like an innately feminist view of what it's like to be a modern woman grappling with your own shit and trying to survive it all. This entire book feels like sinking yourself knee-deep in the female gaze and understanding you can trust it to never betray you.
The side characters shine in this book. From Ryan to Gemma to Lou to Alaric there is someone for everyone. (Even though one of my favorites ended on the cutting room floor, RIP Carmichael) Each character is their own being, separate from the plot and this makes the representation in this book incredibly realistic - Ryan is nonbinary, Rory and Teddy are bisexual - but there's never a question if it's tokenism, they just are and it's so refreshing. I loved the interpersonal relationships and the way everything felt rooted in the way humans seek each other out - whether for love, kinship, or more nefarious reasons. Modern Divination, at its root, is about people. It's about people who have their own experiences coloring their actions and have to strive to do what they feel is best, regardless of how misguided they might be. This book feels like a masterclass in how to write a character that feels real - like a stranger you might happen to meet in a coffee shop who you won't forget for your entire life.
I had the extreme pleasure of reading Modern Divination in one of its rawest forms as a beta reader and I'm lucky enough to call the author a close friend. I wish I could tell you this impacted my review, or colored my feelings about it - but it didn't. This has cemented itself as one of my favorite books I've ever read and my mind is still reeling that I get to fangirl about these characters with the very person who created them. I would highly recommend this for anyone who wants to feel like they've been swaddled in a warm blanket, tucked into bed, and told a heart-pounding bedtime story full of magic, adventure, and the soft glow of love.
Content warnings: *some listed at the beginning of the book*
Vomiting (on page), murder, animal death, body horror (light), blood/blood magic, cannibalism (in a dream sequence, not graphic), sexual content (brief scenes), mental health, allusions to body image issues
For Aurelia Schwartz there are only two goals in life: to be top of her class at Cambridge and to keep her status as a witch secret from the humans around her. This has led to an insular life, one where even her closest friend and flatmate doesn't know who truly sleeps in the room next door. But when Aurelia finds her magic spiraling out of control from disuse and a startling murder happens during what should be a night of academic achievement - she must turn to the only boy she thought she had nothing in common with, Teddy Ingram, her academic rival who has his own golden-threaded secrets.
I was completely taken with Modern Divination from the very first page, swept away in both the magic and warmth of Isa's writing. There are so few books that get dark academia right and this one does it and then sets the bar for everything you read after it. Rory and Teddy's characters are driven by their desire to do more, to be more, and each obstacle they run into - magical or not - deliciously develops their relationship and feelings for each other. Rory, particularly, became one of my favorite female characters. She's written in such a way that just feels like Isa rooted around in my soul to pull up my darkest insecurities and threw them onto the page. Rory isn't interested in being soft or sweet, she's not here to mince words or offer an encouraging smile - she feels like an innately feminist view of what it's like to be a modern woman grappling with your own shit and trying to survive it all. This entire book feels like sinking yourself knee-deep in the female gaze and understanding you can trust it to never betray you.
The side characters shine in this book. From Ryan to Gemma to Lou to Alaric there is someone for everyone. (Even though one of my favorites ended on the cutting room floor, RIP Carmichael) Each character is their own being, separate from the plot and this makes the representation in this book incredibly realistic - Ryan is nonbinary, Rory and Teddy are bisexual - but there's never a question if it's tokenism, they just are and it's so refreshing. I loved the interpersonal relationships and the way everything felt rooted in the way humans seek each other out - whether for love, kinship, or more nefarious reasons. Modern Divination, at its root, is about people. It's about people who have their own experiences coloring their actions and have to strive to do what they feel is best, regardless of how misguided they might be. This book feels like a masterclass in how to write a character that feels real - like a stranger you might happen to meet in a coffee shop who you won't forget for your entire life.
I had the extreme pleasure of reading Modern Divination in one of its rawest forms as a beta reader and I'm lucky enough to call the author a close friend. I wish I could tell you this impacted my review, or colored my feelings about it - but it didn't. This has cemented itself as one of my favorite books I've ever read and my mind is still reeling that I get to fangirl about these characters with the very person who created them. I would highly recommend this for anyone who wants to feel like they've been swaddled in a warm blanket, tucked into bed, and told a heart-pounding bedtime story full of magic, adventure, and the soft glow of love.
Content warnings: *some listed at the beginning of the book*
Vomiting (on page), murder, animal death, body horror (light), blood/blood magic, cannibalism (in a dream sequence, not graphic), sexual content (brief scenes), mental health, allusions to body image issues
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content, Body horror, and Vomit
Minor: Cannibalism
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