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chlocatty16's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jasmine_elizabeth's review against another edition
4.0
The Cursed Sea was a great finale. I loved that she was reunited with her family, and I liked how Gerdie didn't just forgive her straight away. This book was like none stop danger; just when they got away, they are back in the thralls of another dangerous bad guy. You found yourself constantly uncertain about the survival of characters.
I enjoyed the sibling bonds in this book between Wil and Gerdie and surprisingly Loom and Espel as well. Gerdie helps Wil come to terms with everything that happened in book one, and I love that. Of course, I also loved the romances in this book as well.
I enjoyed the sibling bonds in this book between Wil and Gerdie and surprisingly Loom and Espel as well. Gerdie helps Wil come to terms with everything that happened in book one, and I love that. Of course, I also loved the romances in this book as well.
steenabean's review against another edition
2.0
This is the first time I have ever consciously chosen to put a book down and walk away. DNF at 76%. It's really a shame because I absolutely loved the first book in this duology, but this book loses the majority of what made that book so great.
To begin with, the complex romance dynamic between the two characters devolved into a typical mushy romance. I understand that they're teenagers but their relationship became so ripe with cliché in this sequel that it lost everything that made it unique and interesting.
Additionally, every turn of the plot felt rushed and crammed together, making it feel somewhat incoherent. The problem wasn't that the plot was inconsistent. It just seemed like the author tried so hard to shock the reader with the turn that instead of evoking that "of course, why didn't I think of that!" reaction that makes this technique enjoyable to read, it came across as clumsy and forced, and again, fell into the trap of clichés. The final straw for me was when the main character was brought back from the dead by the prince's love. While this is clearly supposed to be a fairy tale, it just felt a little too traditional and contrived, making it bland instead of spectacular. I might have been able to forgive that and rate this book three stars if The Glass Spare hadn't been so stunning. I feel cheated, because I know this author and this story are both capable of better.
You might be wondering why I didn't rate this one star, and I have to say, Espel and Massalee really saved the day here. While technically only supporting characters, their motivations were so interesting that they helped me limp through to the point that I stopped reading. It doesn't hurt that we are given a realistic, touching portrayal of a WLW relationship where nobody has to die for us to feel emotionally invested (up to the point I read anyway).
Ultimately, I won't be giving up on Lauren DeStefano's writing altogether after this book, but I found myself extremely disappointed and underwhelmed.
To begin with, the complex romance dynamic between the two characters devolved into a typical mushy romance. I understand that they're teenagers but their relationship became so ripe with cliché in this sequel that it lost everything that made it unique and interesting.
Additionally, every turn of the plot felt rushed and crammed together, making it feel somewhat incoherent. The problem wasn't that the plot was inconsistent. It just seemed like the author tried so hard to shock the reader with the turn that instead of evoking that "of course, why didn't I think of that!" reaction that makes this technique enjoyable to read, it came across as clumsy and forced, and again, fell into the trap of clichés. The final straw for me was when the main character was brought back from the dead by the prince's love. While this is clearly supposed to be a fairy tale, it just felt a little too traditional and contrived, making it bland instead of spectacular. I might have been able to forgive that and rate this book three stars if The Glass Spare hadn't been so stunning. I feel cheated, because I know this author and this story are both capable of better.
You might be wondering why I didn't rate this one star, and I have to say, Espel and Massalee really saved the day here. While technically only supporting characters, their motivations were so interesting that they helped me limp through to the point that I stopped reading. It doesn't hurt that we are given a realistic, touching portrayal of a WLW relationship where nobody has to die for us to feel emotionally invested (up to the point I read anyway).
Ultimately, I won't be giving up on Lauren DeStefano's writing altogether after this book, but I found myself extremely disappointed and underwhelmed.
8bluebutterfly8's review against another edition
2.0
I really don't know why I felt the need to finish this book after one year. The concept for the story was interesting but the execution could have been done better. The concept of curses in the story was confusing at times. I didn't really care for any of the characters or their relationships.
kaylaarnold's review against another edition
2.0
1.5*
chose 1.5 because I'm stuck between a 1 and 2 star rating.
extremely disappointed with this story. The Glass Spare was a 5 star book and I was skeptical that the second installment would also be a 5 star but this was a huge disappointment. About 25% I realized something was lacking in this book and it wasn't going to get better. The more I read this the lower my rating got. I couldn't bring myself to give this 1-star b/c there were some really good writing, quotes, and plot points. The romance was the center of the book which was complete cheese and cliche. Everything else major to the plot was rushed and lacked explanation. There were lots of things mentioned that just didn't make sense and left me confused. If this were the first book of a series I would have DNF'd early on, but I had to keep reading because the first book was literally my favorite of 2018. I was sick of Wil and Loom's relationship and Wil thinking everything was her fault. I understand the feeling of guilt and placing blame on yourself instead of on others, but in this book it was just excessive. This review could go on forever and I could give more detail but I'm honestly exhausted from reading this book. I'm not saying others should not read The Cursed Sea, but I thought this was a huge let down from The Glass Spare.
chose 1.5 because I'm stuck between a 1 and 2 star rating.
extremely disappointed with this story. The Glass Spare was a 5 star book and I was skeptical that the second installment would also be a 5 star but this was a huge disappointment. About 25% I realized something was lacking in this book and it wasn't going to get better. The more I read this the lower my rating got. I couldn't bring myself to give this 1-star b/c there were some really good writing, quotes, and plot points. The romance was the center of the book which was complete cheese and cliche. Everything else major to the plot was rushed and lacked explanation. There were lots of things mentioned that just didn't make sense and left me confused. If this were the first book of a series I would have DNF'd early on, but I had to keep reading because the first book was literally my favorite of 2018. I was sick of Wil and Loom's relationship and Wil thinking everything was her fault. I understand the feeling of guilt and placing blame on yourself instead of on others, but in this book it was just excessive. This review could go on forever and I could give more detail but I'm honestly exhausted from reading this book. I'm not saying others should not read The Cursed Sea, but I thought this was a huge let down from The Glass Spare.
tlynn_07_14_21's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.0
I was really excited about this book. The first was great. I did like this one, but it did not have everything I wanted. I think this happens a lot with duologies. There just isn't enough time for everything to come together the right way. I felt like this was rushed to a conclusion and things didn't get fleshed out.
laughlinesandliterature's review against another edition
3.0
This is a really tough to review for me to write because I did enjoy this book. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with it, but it didn't capture me the way The Glass Spare did. There was just something that was a little off. I don't know if it was the pacing or the fact that it was all a bit predicable but something just fell flat for me.Things I did like: How Wil's relationship with her remaining brothers were strengthened. I thought the backstory to Wil's curse was interesting and definitely lent a deeper thread to the story. It would have been nice though for that to have been a story in it's own right. There was definitely enough there to give it substance. Instead it felt like filler in an already existing story.
Loom and Wil's relationship was so so predictable. The slow dance they did in the first one that gave tension and added dimension to the characters just unraveled. Pretty much everything on that end was a snooze for me. By the end I wasn't sure why these two loved each other as I wasn't sure that they really knew and understood each other. The romantic relationship was the weak link in this book, and I think it was the cause of most of the issues I had. The writing was beautiful but that is where DeStefano shines. The prose and world-building was lovely and I'll still pick up her books, but this one was a dud for me. 3 out of 5 stars.
*This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2019/04/the-cursed-sea-by-lauren-destefano-review.html*
Loom and Wil's relationship was so so predictable. The slow dance they did in the first one that gave tension and added dimension to the characters just unraveled. Pretty much everything on that end was a snooze for me. By the end I wasn't sure why these two loved each other as I wasn't sure that they really knew and understood each other. The romantic relationship was the weak link in this book, and I think it was the cause of most of the issues I had. The writing was beautiful but that is where DeStefano shines. The prose and world-building was lovely and I'll still pick up her books, but this one was a dud for me. 3 out of 5 stars.
*This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2019/04/the-cursed-sea-by-lauren-destefano-review.html*
marfer20's review against another edition
2.0
This was a slog. There was a good story hidden in there under a lot of other unnecessary or ill-explained plot. I didn’t connect with the characters, but the prose was really beautiful at times. I think maybe it just wasn’t for me, but it might be other people’s thing?
jeslyn_'s review against another edition
5.0
This book deserves ALL OF THE STARS! I have not cried so hard or cheered so loudly in my life! Destafanos writing style is superb and fully submerges the readers into every single heart wrenching moment. This book is a work of magic with subtle twists that flow right in and further broaden the depth of the story.
kthomas4415's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I actually really enjoyed this series! Great audiobook for the cursed sea