kfriend's review against another edition
4.0
Welcome back to the mythic world of ceremonial cloaks and bizarre traditions, my friends- we are in the world of Secret Societies with the second book of the series- Twisted Circles. And this story starts out with the suspense straight out of the gate- we dive straight into a disorienting, bizarre, and mysterious situation, with a missing person and a heroine with no recent memory, hastily agreeing to put herself in danger to discover more about the mysterious Stella, who it appears is a twin sister she never knew about.
Claire writes suspenseful labyrinths of plots - this is more than just sneaky or contrived twists- she makes full on mazes of story and really masterfully utilizes writing convention (plot pace, back story, intentionally distanced characterization, etc) to ratchet up reader confusion as part of the experience. Here she brilliantly also takes away some of our character’s memories- which both puts us in her shoes (we experience her disorientation since we are as in the dark as she is) but also plays up the unreliable narrator convention- we believe Eva because she’s the protagonist, but there are times when we, too, are second guessing her- wondering about her mental state, starting to questions if she’s blurring reality and dream, wondering what role she had in her blackout. Even with Adam, we start with an element of distrust- he’s the President of the secret society that is part of this plot. Beyond that, I can’t say much without spoiling, but Claire is such a master of suspense - this is a page turning mystery. Lies, deceit, unpredictable and unreliable characters galore- this story plays with your mind just like it plays with our characters.
This story is more about mystery and suspense than the romance, and more about Eva’s journey of self more so than her relationship with Adam, so I wouldn’t consider really call this romance, but more so a mystery book that has a sweet and touching romance as part of the story- including having dual POV for our two romantic leads. While the romance takes a bit of a backseat, I really loved Adam and Eva together- their connection was really sweet, although I never felt Eva’s connection to Adam as strongly as I felt his to hers- perhaps because I just LOVED being in his head, he was really so interesting and charming, or perhaps because Eva just has so much on her plate and she’s never really had a connection to anyone- so this is all new to her. They were true partners, though, a team, which was so empowering to see- and had me wishing for just a smidge more romance time with them together to watch their bond grow.
Adam is freaking fantastic, a more contemporary hero- he’s charming, grounded, supportive and empathetic- with a strong moral compass and a willingness to listen to and respect Eva, even when he doubts her. He is so sweet and accepting of her. And Eva is incredible interesting- as her story unfolds we’re trying to understand who she really is, because she doesn’t remember parts of herself, and we have conflicting information about what she did/how she acts to the Eva whose head we get to live inside- a girl who just wants family, to be loved, to MATTER. A girl who willingly puts herself in harm's way for people she doesn’t even know just because she wants to feel connected- she’s brave, she’s strong, and I love that she’s the center of this tale, she’s the decision maker and action driver.
Claire is the Queen of suspenseful storytelling- intricately weaving intrigue and plot so dynamic, so complex ,so riveting that you can’t turn the pages fast enough as you’re trying to piece together what is happening and WHO everyone is- because Claire’s characterization is intentionally distancing- we don’t REALLY know most our characters, because their true motivations and intentions are key to this mystery. We’re left wondering who is deceiving and who is a victim, who is complicit and who is unaware- that’s part of the journey. There are some crazy things here, and some dark elements, too, but true secret societies have never been about realism, so neither is their story- so just suspend your disbelief at the door and strap up for a suspenseful, twisting ride.
Claire writes suspenseful labyrinths of plots - this is more than just sneaky or contrived twists- she makes full on mazes of story and really masterfully utilizes writing convention (plot pace, back story, intentionally distanced characterization, etc) to ratchet up reader confusion as part of the experience. Here she brilliantly also takes away some of our character’s memories- which both puts us in her shoes (we experience her disorientation since we are as in the dark as she is) but also plays up the unreliable narrator convention- we believe Eva because she’s the protagonist, but there are times when we, too, are second guessing her- wondering about her mental state, starting to questions if she’s blurring reality and dream, wondering what role she had in her blackout. Even with Adam, we start with an element of distrust- he’s the President of the secret society that is part of this plot. Beyond that, I can’t say much without spoiling, but Claire is such a master of suspense - this is a page turning mystery. Lies, deceit, unpredictable and unreliable characters galore- this story plays with your mind just like it plays with our characters.
This story is more about mystery and suspense than the romance, and more about Eva’s journey of self more so than her relationship with Adam, so I wouldn’t consider really call this romance, but more so a mystery book that has a sweet and touching romance as part of the story- including having dual POV for our two romantic leads. While the romance takes a bit of a backseat, I really loved Adam and Eva together- their connection was really sweet, although I never felt Eva’s connection to Adam as strongly as I felt his to hers- perhaps because I just LOVED being in his head, he was really so interesting and charming, or perhaps because Eva just has so much on her plate and she’s never really had a connection to anyone- so this is all new to her. They were true partners, though, a team, which was so empowering to see- and had me wishing for just a smidge more romance time with them together to watch their bond grow.
Adam is freaking fantastic, a more contemporary hero- he’s charming, grounded, supportive and empathetic- with a strong moral compass and a willingness to listen to and respect Eva, even when he doubts her. He is so sweet and accepting of her. And Eva is incredible interesting- as her story unfolds we’re trying to understand who she really is, because she doesn’t remember parts of herself, and we have conflicting information about what she did/how she acts to the Eva whose head we get to live inside- a girl who just wants family, to be loved, to MATTER. A girl who willingly puts herself in harm's way for people she doesn’t even know just because she wants to feel connected- she’s brave, she’s strong, and I love that she’s the center of this tale, she’s the decision maker and action driver.
Claire is the Queen of suspenseful storytelling- intricately weaving intrigue and plot so dynamic, so complex ,so riveting that you can’t turn the pages fast enough as you’re trying to piece together what is happening and WHO everyone is- because Claire’s characterization is intentionally distancing- we don’t REALLY know most our characters, because their true motivations and intentions are key to this mystery. We’re left wondering who is deceiving and who is a victim, who is complicit and who is unaware- that’s part of the journey. There are some crazy things here, and some dark elements, too, but true secret societies have never been about realism, so neither is their story- so just suspend your disbelief at the door and strap up for a suspenseful, twisting ride.
gretareadsromance's review against another edition
5.0
If you've read Half Truths then you are familiar with the secret society world Claire Contreras created. This book tells the story of Eva and how she tries to put the pieces of her mysterious life back together. All this while navigating the strange and secretive world of the Swords. I loved every bit of this book just as the first. It had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't wait for what was going to be unveiled next. This world of secret societies is so fascinating! I hope there are more books to come in this series. I want all the truths!
lalalauletta's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
kellisromancereadingnook's review against another edition
3.0
I started this book but I just couldn't get into it Maybe because it's the second book in series And I didn't read the 1st
asbryant's review against another edition
5.0
THIS!!
This. This book right here. This is the kind of book I was hoping the first book in the series, Half Truths, was gonna be. Twisted Circles grabs your attention right away, you're immediately in the thick of the plot within a couple pages, and no matter how many times you think you've gotten ahead of the twists, another one pops up, and you're left with your jaw hanging wide open.
In the best way.
The first book was a decent read: a slow buildup, but a good book to lay the groundwork for the secret societies. Not a lot of the lore is discussed in this book since there's already so much to unpack, but basically, we got what we really needed, which was the traditions and the initiations.
All the little critiques I had of the first book — which weren't big, they were more for my own personal preference — didn't appear in this book.
I've definitely changed my stance, and instead of wanting to buy a black cloak, a red cloak is now on my Christmas list. Bit of a bummer though, cause I look so much better in black, but what can you do? The heart wants what the heart wants.
(still wouldn't be able to survive the initiation, though, even if i had the wonderful love interest that is adam with me, cause holy fuck, no one's burying me alive, not even for fifty grand. a hundred grand, i'll bust out the pro-con list)
I finished this within a few hours. I couldn't put it down. There were no moments that seemed like filler scenes; everything pushed the plot along at a riveting pace. In retrospect, my rating for Half Truths should've been a three and a half star instead of a four, but until Goodreads gives us that option [seriously, Goodreads, this is all we want], it'll stay at a four. But this book deserves the five stars unless Claire Contreras decides to one-up herself again with the next addition to this series. And even then, they should just consider making a sixth star.
Unlike the first book, which I considered a guilty pleasure for myself, I would consider Twisted Circles a pleasure. Nothing guilty about it.
This. This book right here. This is the kind of book I was hoping the first book in the series, Half Truths, was gonna be. Twisted Circles grabs your attention right away, you're immediately in the thick of the plot within a couple pages, and no matter how many times you think you've gotten ahead of the twists, another one pops up, and you're left with your jaw hanging wide open.
In the best way.
The first book was a decent read: a slow buildup, but a good book to lay the groundwork for the secret societies. Not a lot of the lore is discussed in this book since there's already so much to unpack, but basically, we got what we really needed, which was the traditions and the initiations.
All the little critiques I had of the first book — which weren't big, they were more for my own personal preference — didn't appear in this book.
I've definitely changed my stance, and instead of wanting to buy a black cloak, a red cloak is now on my Christmas list. Bit of a bummer though, cause I look so much better in black, but what can you do? The heart wants what the heart wants.
(still wouldn't be able to survive the initiation, though, even if i had the wonderful love interest that is adam with me, cause holy fuck, no one's burying me alive, not even for fifty grand. a hundred grand, i'll bust out the pro-con list)
I finished this within a few hours. I couldn't put it down. There were no moments that seemed like filler scenes; everything pushed the plot along at a riveting pace. In retrospect, my rating for Half Truths should've been a three and a half star instead of a four, but until Goodreads gives us that option [seriously, Goodreads, this is all we want], it'll stay at a four. But this book deserves the five stars unless Claire Contreras decides to one-up herself again with the next addition to this series. And even then, they should just consider making a sixth star.
Unlike the first book, which I considered a guilty pleasure for myself, I would consider Twisted Circles a pleasure. Nothing guilty about it.
what_karla_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5