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amy_in_the_city's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Medical content, Car accident, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content and Stalking
linblythe_pub22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Death and War
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Stalking
joygarcialim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The plot was what really made the book so damn interesting. The magical channel of two potential lovers sending love letters was at the heart of the story, and it possessed an abundance of charm and mystery.
Although there wasn't enough details to evoke a powerful imagery of the sceneries, such as how Oath looked like, there was a sense of an antique world. There could have been a lot more done to contribute to the world-building other
I questioned my own ability to understand emotions and relationships many times throughout the book, whilst simultaneously questioning Rebecca Ross's.
She started to see Roman as a romantic partner a few days after he arrived in Avalon Bluff, after he straight-up lied(by omission) about his identity as Carver. There was a real missed opportunity to write a romantic conflict and working towards conflict resolution, which would have made the relationship seem a lot more romantic and wholesome. They got married within a few days of starting a relationship, which is just a bad message to young readers, since this is YA after all.
“This was one of the finest restaurants in Oath, where Roman’s parents had fallen in love over a long candlelit dinner.” The average time for men to fall in love is actually 88 days and it's longer for women, one dinner doesn't cut it unless this long dinner was 88 days.
“Iris watched her bolt down the hallway, knowing she was probably going to wax vengefully poetic to the professor who had once dismissed her writing.” I'm not even sure what this means.
“What marks would it leave on them, shining like scars that never faded?” But don't all scars fade, even if not completely? And do scars shine?
“So many loose pages, fluttering like snow down to the floor.”
“He continued to hold their stare, deadly serious. “If I asked you, would you say yes?” I was so confused. Did Iris become enby during that one sentence?
“She ran to Keegan with a shriek, weeping and laughing, leaping into her arms.” Was Marisol was happy to see her wife amidst an impending war zone?
“This was the life she wanted—slow and easy and vibrant, surrounded by people she loved.” People she hardly knew.
Finally, the book gave left a lot of unexplained situations, which I hope are hints for things that are to come in the second book.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Vomit
zanazy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Vomit, and Stalking
rypie1916's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: War
Moderate: Sexual content and Vomit
Minor: Stalking
rayreyes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
It slowed all the way down and then threw a curveball that I saw coming and expected me to care. Maybe the author needed more time than the deadline allowed to flesh out the end like the rest of the book. She’s an incredible writer so I’m not done with her works yet. But jeez did that pacing shift and sudden story arc shift impact the ride.
Graphic: Death of parent and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Abandonment, and Alcohol
emilysreadingbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Medical trauma, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Gore, Blood, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, Stalking, and Abandonment