always_reading_books's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
grunzy's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book, like really wanted to. 2 chapters, 2, actually caught my interest. Maybe it just wasn't for me.
aurigae's review against another edition
4.0
An overgrown magical romp - fun but directionless. 3.5 stars
This book has gotten a lot of very positive and very negative reviews. The positive reviews say it's imaginative, fun to read, and filled with interesting characters and side plots. The negative reviews say it's long and wandering, with an infuriating and incompletely-developed main character and very little in the way of forward thrust.
And... they're both right. In this story, the sideshows are everything. There is a rich scenery of secondary characters and subplots in the magical universe. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but the world struck me as fairly standard, with some creative flourishes. But, whatever its degree of originality, the world, and especially the characters populating it, drew me in.
This is fortunate, because the main character, Nora, is very thinly drawn. She has a life (and, presumably, a personality) in the "real" world, but it doesn't strongly inform her actions in the magic world we spend most of the book in. This is particularly confusing because her backstory is so specific For all the pages devoted to Nora's romantic entanglements and magical learning, I would have appreciated a bit more attention given to the emotional weight of these things and their resonance with her real-world life.
This book has gotten a lot of very positive and very negative reviews. The positive reviews say it's imaginative, fun to read, and filled with interesting characters and side plots. The negative reviews say it's long and wandering, with an infuriating and incompletely-developed main character and very little in the way of forward thrust.
And... they're both right. In this story, the sideshows are everything. There is a rich scenery of secondary characters and subplots in the magical universe. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but the world struck me as fairly standard, with some creative flourishes. But, whatever its degree of originality, the world, and especially the characters populating it, drew me in.
This is fortunate, because the main character, Nora, is very thinly drawn. She has a life (and, presumably, a personality) in the "real" world, but it doesn't strongly inform her actions in the magic world we spend most of the book in. This is particularly confusing because her backstory is so specific For all the pages devoted to Nora's romantic entanglements and magical learning, I would have appreciated a bit more attention given to the emotional weight of these things and their resonance with her real-world life.
mdodds11's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this, but Nora was just so...stupid.
Ended on page 92
Ended on page 92
norrieaga's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't start getting into it until halfway through, at which point I'd read enough to feel compelled to finish. I'm glad i did.
peppypenguin's review against another edition
4.0
I officially have a love-hate feeling for this book. It was written pretty decently: the world was well built, I loved the description of magic, and the characters were well developed also. It was quite the slow read, or long journey, but I feel like that was the point. Slow burning, but the character growth is intense. I just hate hate hate how it left off. But that's a testament to the love I felt for the characters.
I do feel like events happened rather chaotically, or a bit too conveniently, but it didn't spoil anything for me. Things certainly didn't develop how I expected them to, and while sometimes it almost seemed too random, in a way it was part of the book's charm.
I can't wait for a sequel.
I do feel like events happened rather chaotically, or a bit too conveniently, but it didn't spoil anything for me. Things certainly didn't develop how I expected them to, and while sometimes it almost seemed too random, in a way it was part of the book's charm.
I can't wait for a sequel.
nzmerchant's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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
4.0
Rather slow paced than the usual fantasy genre I’m used to reading. But I didn’t mind because the writing felt very intentional and a lot of this book was spent crafting the beautiful world that this story resides in!
Thoroughly enjoyed reading about Nora’s magical journey and am a big fan of how magic connects to nature and it’s various components.
The only gripe I had was with how willing Nora was to stay in the magical world and forsake her ties to her real life. I understand she wanted an escape but she felt a bit too chill bout it? Perhaps I’m just a crazy Type A and this kind of thing would drive me crazy.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading about Nora’s magical journey and am a big fan of how magic connects to nature and it’s various components.
The only gripe I had was with how willing Nora was to stay in the magical world and forsake her ties to her real life. I understand she wanted an escape but she felt a bit too chill bout it? Perhaps I’m just a crazy Type A and this kind of thing would drive me crazy.
1klew's review against another edition
2.0
I started this. I got about halfway through before I had to give it up. It felt like the longest book in the world. It was strange, and not in a good way. And it was boring. I feel like it probably has a good ending, but I'll never get there because it's so obnoxiously drawn out. Nope.
celandine's review against another edition
1.0
Interesting premise meets boring execution. This book had a lot of potential, but it has more filler than anything.
The back cover quote "If Hermione Granger was an American who never received her Hogwarts letter, this might be her story." is a complete misconception. If Hermione was a whiny, useless and only vaguely intelligent American, sure. But (I can't even remember her name now because that's how boring she is. Oh wait, I think it's Nora.. yea. Nora.) Nora does not come close to the potential Hermione had.
The slow pace of the book put me to sleep. I was 100 pages in before any vague sense of the plot might be occurring. Oh nope, let's waste another 75 pages on bed rest and more fluffy filler.
The title was what drew me in. It sounded like the book could be humorous, intelligent, and fun. Nora certainly wasn't intelligent and she definitely had no humor or a fun bone in her body. By page 25, I would have been satisfied by a fart joke. But everyone in Nora's world are pretentious bores.
Couldn't finish. This book was a waste of potential.
The back cover quote "If Hermione Granger was an American who never received her Hogwarts letter, this might be her story." is a complete misconception. If Hermione was a whiny, useless and only vaguely intelligent American, sure. But (I can't even remember her name now because that's how boring she is. Oh wait, I think it's Nora.. yea. Nora.) Nora does not come close to the potential Hermione had.
The slow pace of the book put me to sleep. I was 100 pages in before any vague sense of the plot might be occurring. Oh nope, let's waste another 75 pages on bed rest and more fluffy filler.
The title was what drew me in. It sounded like the book could be humorous, intelligent, and fun. Nora certainly wasn't intelligent and she definitely had no humor or a fun bone in her body. By page 25, I would have been satisfied by a fart joke. But everyone in Nora's world are pretentious bores.
Couldn't finish. This book was a waste of potential.
hgranger's review against another edition
1.0
I was drawn to this book by a review that described it as “Hermione Granger grown up and discovering she has magic.” Uhm no. Nora is so far from Hermione Granger that it’s almost funny — except for the part where I slugged through 563 pages of pure boring nonsense hoping it would get better. In all of those pages, I think Nora manages to be assertive and save herself once. And even then she gets help from an ice demon. The rest of the book she blunders around making one ridiculous choice after another, getting lured in by ridiculous plots repeatedly, and never getting any wiser. The entire book happens to her, not because of her. The dialogue is wooden and full, the plot is so slow moving it’s almost painful. (Why is this book so long???)
There are several excellent 1-star reviews on here that I’d recommend. I will just say two more things: first, who the heck stumbles into some strangers garden, walks around for a while and then proceeds to help themselves to a drink sitting on a table that “kind of looks like koolaid?? Even if you know nothing about fairies and enchantments, doesn’t common courtesy prevent you from going on to other people’s property and helping yourself to their food/ drink? And second, how utterly unromantic is a romantic love interest who is 180 years old (but usually doesn’t look it) and who KILLED HIS WIFE?!?? (But only because she fell in love with someone else and he’s sort of sorry now. Sometimes.)
There are several excellent 1-star reviews on here that I’d recommend. I will just say two more things: first, who the heck stumbles into some strangers garden, walks around for a while and then proceeds to help themselves to a drink sitting on a table that “kind of looks like koolaid?? Even if you know nothing about fairies and enchantments, doesn’t common courtesy prevent you from going on to other people’s property and helping yourself to their food/ drink? And second, how utterly unromantic is a romantic love interest who is 180 years old (but usually doesn’t look it) and who KILLED HIS WIFE?!?? (But only because she fell in love with someone else and he’s sort of sorry now. Sometimes.)