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rachachisaur's review against another edition
I genuinely could not get into this. The worldbuilding seemed super sparse and the story itself jumped around too much. The time skips were jarring.
mollieweitzman's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
5.0
This was everything!!! Am I Ava Reid’s biggest fan now?!?? Yall were right!! Absolutely the best book to finish while in the dark and with no power for 3 days after a hurricane the vibes could not be more perfect I fear. Literally in the second drowning as we speak!!
As an aside I didn’t really like Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross and I know the plot doesn’t match up at all but this was kind of exactly the vibe I was wanting and missing from that!
This book like it literally has EVERYTHING that I have ever wanted in a book please read this my moody dark academia girls who love the cruel prince and women destroying shithead men in power!! DO IT DO IT
As an aside I didn’t really like Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross and I know the plot doesn’t match up at all but this was kind of exactly the vibe I was wanting and missing from that!
This book like it literally has EVERYTHING that I have ever wanted in a book please read this my moody dark academia girls who love the cruel prince and women destroying shithead men in power!! DO IT DO IT
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Xenophobia and Abandonment
marcellemml's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ledade503's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this book!! It never had that 'YA' feel to it that some books do, and in fact was more mature in its execution than adult books I've read. I liked it's depth on the relationship between truth, stories, and lies and how they each touch the lives of the characters. The way it tied in with the objectification and exploitation of women in the novel was very well done.
I loved Effy's portrayal, and the way she disconnects from the world and herself when going through or talking about trauma felt so personal and moving. Preston was so well written too, I'm honsetly impressed with how much I loved him by the end. I definitely want to pick up a copy to own, because I have the feeling I will be rereading this book.
I loved Effy's portrayal, and the way she
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
lovevajacks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
emmirosereads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
3.0
I can definitely see and understand why so many people loved this book! There was a lot of potential and a lot that I did like. I loved the vibes. I loved the two main characters and the eventual opposites attract relationship they formed. They had good chemistry and it developed in a really sweet way. I loved the themes of female rage throughout the book, especially at the end. Unfortunately, I just could not connect and love this story as vividly as everyone else seemed to. I'm not sure if it just wasn't the right time for me to read this as I'm a huge mood reader or if it was something with the book itself that I inherently had a problem with that I can't quite identify.
My biggest gripe with the book was its pacing. I attempted to read this on my Kindle but couldn't get into it so I tried the audiobook which was better but it still took me till about 50% of the way through the really be invested and even then I wasn't completely invested. I also had some issues with the worldbuilding. I don't know if lackluster is the right description because the foundation is there and good but I almost wish there were more fantasy elements to it. The book is on the shorter side so it is a bit hard to give a full lush world in that amount of time.
I liked it well enough but didn't love it and was a little bored for most of it I hate to admit but I definitely think this is worth giving a try if you think you might enjoy it!
My biggest gripe with the book was its pacing. I attempted to read this on my Kindle but couldn't get into it so I tried the audiobook which was better but it still took me till about 50% of the way through the really be invested and even then I wasn't completely invested. I also had some issues with the worldbuilding. I don't know if lackluster is the right description because the foundation is there and good but I almost wish there were more fantasy elements to it. The book is on the shorter side so it is a bit hard to give a full lush world in that amount of time.
I liked it well enough but didn't love it and was a little bored for most of it I hate to admit but I definitely think this is worth giving a try if you think you might enjoy it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment
staruponthesparklingspire's review against another edition
2.0
It has been some months since I've read this so I might get some of the details wrong. I enjoyed reading this book for several reasons, most of all the catharsis of reading from the perspective of a character I heavily related to. However, I felt the book fell short of its potential.
The descriptions of Effy's trauma (and implied PTSS), and her desperately trying to keep afloat because of it were things that were very cathartic for me to read. Her hero-worship and subsequent desillusion of a writer she looked up to hit close to home as well.
The premise of the story, the main character trying to reconcile her belief of magic with an otherwise modern and un-magical world, and the worldbuilding — a Welsh-inspired modern setting, with tantalizing references to a recent catastrophic event known as The Drowning — were very interesting in their own right.
But the writer did not cash in on their potential - to my disappointment - remained undeveloped. I also felt that the ending was quite predictable.
The descriptions of Effy's trauma (and implied PTSS), and her desperately trying to keep afloat because of it were things that were very cathartic for me to read. Her hero-worship and subsequent desillusion of a writer she looked up to hit close to home as well.
The premise of the story, the main character trying to reconcile her belief of magic with an otherwise modern and un-magical world, and the worldbuilding — a Welsh-inspired modern setting, with tantalizing references to a recent catastrophic event known as The Drowning — were very interesting in their own right.
But the writer did not cash in on their potential - to my disappointment - remained undeveloped. I also felt that the ending was quite predictable.
swanautomata's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
em_poleca's review against another edition
3.0
Podobał mi się pomysł, podobał mi się klimat.
To co mi się nie podobało, to tempo w jakim to wszystko się działo. Początek był bardzo ale to bardzo powolny, dużo można było się samemu domyśleć (i niekoniecznie dzięki temu co odkrywali boahterowie, a przez to jak to było napisane), po czym rozwiązanie zamknęło się w kilkunastu ostanich procentach książki.
To co mi się nie podobało, to tempo w jakim to wszystko się działo. Początek był bardzo ale to bardzo powolny, dużo można było się samemu domyśleć (i niekoniecznie dzięki temu co odkrywali boahterowie, a przez to jak to było napisane), po czym rozwiązanie zamknęło się w kilkunastu ostanich procentach książki.