myfictionaloasis's review against another edition
5.0
I've thought about how to write this review for hours, and I still don't know exactly how to word it. This is one of the few books I've read that have managed to pull me completely into the story. There were several times when I got so upset that I had to stop and remind myself that it was only a book. Faydra Stratton does an amazing job with world-building and drawing readers in.
She does a great job of capturing the spirit of high school; the characters were relatable and realistic. They genuinely acted like high school students, at least in my own experience, which is usually something authors struggle with (from what I've read, at least).
Mesa's relationship with Cody is the cutest thing. Cody reminds me of my own boyfriend, so maybe I'm biased, but he was one of my favorite characters. He's an absolute sweetheart, and you can tell he truly cares about Mesa, which I love.
As for Mesa herself, I think she was amazing. I can't imagine dealing with even half of the things she put up with. I do think she was a bit lenient with Cody, but I also completely understand it. With Kenzi, however, I'm definitely not sure I'd have been able to forgive her as quickly as Mesa did, so I admire her for being able to. She was such a caring, sweet character, especially with Drew.
As for Mesa's grandmother, Avis, I absolutely hated her. The way Stratton managed to write her character so even at the end I would feel no remorse for her is phenomenal. I believe she truly got what she deserved, as cruel as that sounds. She was a terrible person, and in fact, she was the reason I got so emotionally invested in the book.
Additionally, I loved Drew with all my heart. He was such a sweetheart, and I'm glad he managed to surround himself with nonjudgmental people who would treat him the way he deserved.
I absolutely recommend everyone pick this book up when it releases. Stratton truly captures the struggles of growing up with overly-religious family. It was a quick and easy read that had me fully invested in the characters and general storyline.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
She does a great job of capturing the spirit of high school; the characters were relatable and realistic. They genuinely acted like high school students, at least in my own experience, which is usually something authors struggle with (from what I've read, at least).
Mesa's relationship with Cody is the cutest thing. Cody reminds me of my own boyfriend, so maybe I'm biased, but he was one of my favorite characters. He's an absolute sweetheart, and you can tell he truly cares about Mesa, which I love.
As for Mesa herself, I think she was amazing. I can't imagine dealing with even half of the things she put up with. I do think she was a bit lenient with Cody, but I also completely understand it. With Kenzi, however, I'm definitely not sure I'd have been able to forgive her as quickly as Mesa did, so I admire her for being able to. She was such a caring, sweet character, especially with Drew.
As for Mesa's grandmother, Avis, I absolutely hated her. The way Stratton managed to write her character so even at the end I would feel no remorse for her is phenomenal. I believe she truly got what she deserved, as cruel as that sounds. She was a terrible person, and in fact, she was the reason I got so emotionally invested in the book.
Additionally, I loved Drew with all my heart. He was such a sweetheart, and I'm glad he managed to surround himself with nonjudgmental people who would treat him the way he deserved.
I absolutely recommend everyone pick this book up when it releases. Stratton truly captures the struggles of growing up with overly-religious family. It was a quick and easy read that had me fully invested in the characters and general storyline.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
faydrastratton's review against another edition
Grappling with doubt especially because of the people of "faith" around you, a Fragile X storyline, and Florida love. So... 100% the story of my heart.
si0bhan's review against another edition
4.0
Devil Springs is a great debut, one that has me more than happy to dive into future books by the author. In fact, I’ll be keeping an eye out for what else the author has to offer as I’m eager for more.
Devil Springs is a powerful story, one that brings to life the best and worse of high school. You’re quickly sucked into the story, hooked on the characters, and will happily devour the book in a single sitting. With plenty of emotion packed into this one, each page will have you desperate for more.
The one thing I will say is that there was one scene in this that I feel could have used a trigger warning. There were hints it was to come, but I still wasn’t prepared for what happened and it did catch me off-guard. It certainly added to the emotion of this one, but I would have liked some warning.
All in all, Devil Springs was a wonderful read and I cannot wait to get my hands on more of the author’s work.
Devil Springs is a powerful story, one that brings to life the best and worse of high school. You’re quickly sucked into the story, hooked on the characters, and will happily devour the book in a single sitting. With plenty of emotion packed into this one, each page will have you desperate for more.
The one thing I will say is that there was one scene in this that I feel could have used a trigger warning. There were hints it was to come, but I still wasn’t prepared for what happened and it did catch me off-guard. It certainly added to the emotion of this one, but I would have liked some warning.
All in all, Devil Springs was a wonderful read and I cannot wait to get my hands on more of the author’s work.
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