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whatvinreads's review
3.0
I was expecting a YA mystery with a decent story but was faced with a magic journal and the curse which in the end didn't get any explanation or any closure.
The story is promising, but the execution is not. the pace is a bit dragged and slow. High school bullying, lies and pettiness colouring this book.
I actually felt a bit bored in the middle of reading this book which is not a good sign. It's so hard to root for one of the characters in this book because none of them is likeable.
Thank you NetGalley, the author and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest reviews
The story is promising, but the execution is not. the pace is a bit dragged and slow. High school bullying, lies and pettiness colouring this book.
I actually felt a bit bored in the middle of reading this book which is not a good sign. It's so hard to root for one of the characters in this book because none of them is likeable.
Thank you NetGalley, the author and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest reviews
kthornette's review
3.0
Thank you, BookSprout, for the ARC!
This was definitely an interesting premise.
Sophia was a fascinating protagonist and I enjoyed reading her deep thoughts. Eva was interesting too with her seemingly antagonistic role in comparison. Both of them had unlikeable traits but they were kinda entertaining to read and how they each had motives for their actions.
My issues with the story lie with the format. It reminded me of Rules For Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall which I actually DNF’d for that reason. This story didn’t feel smooth with the short chapters, changes in format (chapters, video transcripts, tweets), especially with the alternating POVs and timelines. Also the way everyone texted bothered me. Nobody messages like that anymore. The book felt too long. Nothing important was happening so it dragged. I honestly skimmed the first half because it picked up after (and thankfully).
This was definitely an interesting premise.
Sophia was a fascinating protagonist and I enjoyed reading her deep thoughts. Eva was interesting too with her seemingly antagonistic role in comparison. Both of them had unlikeable traits but they were kinda entertaining to read and how they each had motives for their actions.
My issues with the story lie with the format. It reminded me of Rules For Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall which I actually DNF’d for that reason. This story didn’t feel smooth with the short chapters, changes in format (chapters, video transcripts, tweets), especially with the alternating POVs and timelines. Also the way everyone texted bothered me. Nobody messages like that anymore. The book felt too long. Nothing important was happening so it dragged. I honestly skimmed the first half because it picked up after (and thankfully).
aimeecaitlin's review
4.0
although different to what i usually read I could not put this book down. The structure of the book is so clever and really drove the story forward and had me guessing up to the end.
a must read
a must read
neglet's review
5.0
A fun, twisty thriller that keeps you guessing even as you wonder which character you should be rooting for! Loved seeing the characters' individual journeys as they collide in unexpected ways.
ale9417's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
4.0
trisha_thomas's review
4.0
3.5 that I'm rounding up. The audio book was great! I was hooked right from Chapter 1. Eva has gone missing. The story is slow to unfold - giving you both the "now" chapters and then ones from the past. There as a full cast for the audio and I loved each unique voice. I also liked the format that made it change when it was a newspaper, show or other report. I loved that the whole time the teacher is called Ambien and I chuckled every time they said it. The story started to get a little odd at the end but I still really loved how it all unfolded. I highly recommend enjoying this as an audio, it was a great read!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
stitching_ghost's review
4.0
I enjoyed the fact that we got both Sophia's point of view and how others perceived the situation from the outside, but it felt a little clumsily done at time and like some parts should have been edited out.
Sophia suffers from a very very bad case of not like the other girls with a side of not as cool and tough as she thinks she is and other people's perspectives really helped be it just as a break from how insufferable she was for most of the story. At its core this is a story of personal growth with a splash of supernatural for Sophia so it makes sense for her to actually need some growing up but she was really hard to put up with for most of the story. Luckily her friends actually called her out on her BS instead of just being her ride or dies so the relationships didn't seem too fantastical.
Alsever seems to actually understand how the clock app works which was refreshing, I have read way too many authors who could not seem to muster even the most basic understanding of how social media apps work and how people behave on them.
The ending was satisfying on one front but kind of a let down on the other.
3.5 rounded up for Goodreads.
I received an eARC of this book from BooksGoSocial through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sophia suffers from a very very bad case of not like the other girls with a side of not as cool and tough as she thinks she is and other people's perspectives really helped be it just as a break from how insufferable she was for most of the story. At its core this is a story of personal growth with a splash of supernatural for Sophia so it makes sense for her to actually need some growing up but she was really hard to put up with for most of the story. Luckily her friends actually called her out on her BS instead of just being her ride or dies so the relationships didn't seem too fantastical.
Alsever seems to actually understand how the clock app works which was refreshing, I have read way too many authors who could not seem to muster even the most basic understanding of how social media apps work and how people behave on them.
The ending was satisfying on one front but kind of a let down on the other.
3.5 rounded up for Goodreads.
I received an eARC of this book from BooksGoSocial through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
angieturnsthepages's review
5.0
I loved the mystery of this story. The multiple points of view and alternating writing style between the actual plot and police interviews, texts, and evidence, made for an interesting read that was hard to put down. I was on a rollercoaster of emotions when it came to Sophia, as I admired her unwavering individuality and how she didn’t give in to the pressure of social media, however once she realizes the magic her journal holds you see a more sinister side to her. Now she wields power and has become the main suspect in the disappearance of TikTok star Eva Flores. I love how the story played out all the way up until the end, when you find out exactly how Sophia uses that magic.
If you enjoy catty dialogue, magical realism, mystery, and relevant social issues, you’ll absolutely love this book as it really hits all the marks.
If you enjoy catty dialogue, magical realism, mystery, and relevant social issues, you’ll absolutely love this book as it really hits all the marks.
ladybreww_reads's review
3.0
I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and multiple narrators. My favorite parts of this story were when the kids were being interviewed by the detectives. It was easy to follow the characters, and I thought the way the characters interacted was incredibly authentic. I felt the characters were well developed and interesting.
I did get a little lost with respect to the magic notebook storyline - where everything Sophia wrote down started coming true. I thought it was a very unique way to plan out the book, but there were a few things that I still had questions about after I finished. The story was overall enjoyable and creative.
This book could very easily be a bingeable Netflix series. I enjoyed listening and will read more by this author.
TW: Brief references to underage SA/grooming, nothing on page.
Thank you to netgalley, the author, publisher, and narrators for the opportunity to listen and review this book. All opinions are my own.
I did get a little lost with respect to the magic notebook storyline - where everything Sophia wrote down started coming true. I thought it was a very unique way to plan out the book, but there were a few things that I still had questions about after I finished. The story was overall enjoyable and creative.
This book could very easily be a bingeable Netflix series. I enjoyed listening and will read more by this author.
TW: Brief references to underage SA/grooming, nothing on page.
Thank you to netgalley, the author, publisher, and narrators for the opportunity to listen and review this book. All opinions are my own.