petalstorms's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
thisisadebut's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
eimearc's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is the final book in O’Donoghue’s much beloved “Gifts” series and readers I am delighted to report that she did not come to play and that I also finally warmed to Maeve fully as a character because it was feeling like a bit of a struggle there for a while.
Maeve and her friends are still reeling in the aftermath of the second books out-comes, the choices they made and the outcomes of the same. Riddled with trauma, and slowly fracturing as both their coping mechanisms slowly start to pull them apart from one another, they come to realise that the infamous “Housekeeper” spirit has her eyes set on them. Both individually and as a group they are forced to make choices that will affect their lives forever, all to keep their home town safe.
Folks, I can’t sing this books praises highly enough, there is glorious magical realism, a cult that is genuinely believable as a cult, a plot twist that genuinely stopped me in my tracks when I started to twig it. I could not put this down once I started it. It is an absolute banger and the perfect end to the series.
As always I will praise O’Donoghue for her ability to right both modern and bigoted Ireland so well in tandem. Her inclusivity across gender and sexual orientation, which matters so much when writing YA, honest to god I wish this had been around in my teenage years it would have given me a lot of relief. The nuances and intricacies of the writing are absolutely fantastic; all of the weird stuff was done beautifully, sealing my ghrá for this series forever more.
It’s a solid five out of five stars for me, and I can’t wait to see where O’Donoghue’s YA writing goes next
fictionalsarah's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
adriannasophiabooks's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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
kaitlyns_library's review
medium-paced
4.0
Loved the ending to this trilogy. Throughout the book, scenes and events would occur that kept making me want to read more. The conclusion of the book was just what I needed for closure. I did feel like there was something missing that I just couldn’t put my finger on.
maireador20's review
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
4.25