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collinsd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Blood
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Gore, Self harm, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
onthesamepage's review
dark
tense
medium-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
4.0
It's really interesting having just read this book without knowing much about it other than it has something to do with the devil, because I think it left me room to enjoy it more than if someone had told me to expect enemies to lovers (it really isn't), or if I'd been more familiar with dark academia, because I don't think that's quite it either. I'm glad though, because I actually really enjoyed it.
This is pretty dark for YA, and I definitely recommend looking into the content warnings before deciding to pick it up. It gave me very solid horror movie vibes; the author's writing is fantastic, and that means I could vividly imagine the horrors she was describing. I definitely flinched a few times.
I also think the way she writes characters is really good. Tess and Eliot are both dealing with a lot in their lives, making them come off as more mature than a normal teenager probably would, but that felt right in context. Tess has taken responsibility for her younger sister as a caretaker, juggling school and several part-time jobs, and that necessitates a certain level of maturity. Eliot is dealing with separated parents and a father that seems to be maliciously keeping him away from his terminally-ill mother. But they aren't just two unfortunate, tortured teenagers; they have flaws, they're very human, and I believed the connection between them. Yes, the romance is probably still a bit fast (it's hard to say how much time passes in the book), but I didn't mind it too much. I really enjoyed the side characters too; the friendship between Tess and Anna was heartwarming, and I liked Nat, Tess's little sister, quite a bit as well.
There are a few things that stop me from giving this book a full five stars.
We're told on the first page that Tess can see ghosts, and this sets up an expectation that this is somehow important to the plot. It never is, and I'm not sure why it was included at all.
The first interactions between Eliot and Tess are weird and potentially trying to set up a very short-lived enemies to lovers situation. Instead of sincerely apologizing when she was clearly in the wrong, Tess tries to blame Eliot when he confronts her, and it just didn't make sense for her to react that way.
Last but not least, the ending, which was confusing. I still don't really understand what happened and what the consequences could be.
This is pretty dark for YA, and I definitely recommend looking into the content warnings before deciding to pick it up. It gave me very solid horror movie vibes; the author's writing is fantastic, and that means I could vividly imagine the horrors she was describing. I definitely flinched a few times.
I also think the way she writes characters is really good. Tess and Eliot are both dealing with a lot in their lives, making them come off as more mature than a normal teenager probably would, but that felt right in context. Tess has taken responsibility for her younger sister as a caretaker, juggling school and several part-time jobs, and that necessitates a certain level of maturity. Eliot is dealing with separated parents and a father that seems to be maliciously keeping him away from his terminally-ill mother. But they aren't just two unfortunate, tortured teenagers; they have flaws, they're very human, and I believed the connection between them. Yes, the romance is probably still a bit fast (it's hard to say how much time passes in the book), but I didn't mind it too much. I really enjoyed the side characters too; the friendship between Tess and Anna was heartwarming, and I liked Nat, Tess's little sister, quite a bit as well.
There are a few things that stop me from giving this book a full five stars.
We're told on the first page that Tess can see ghosts, and this sets up an expectation that this is somehow important to the plot. It never is, and I'm not sure why it was included at all.
The first interactions between Eliot and Tess are weird and potentially trying to set up a very short-lived enemies to lovers situation. Instead of sincerely apologizing when she was clearly in the wrong, Tess tries to blame Eliot when he confronts her, and it just didn't make sense for her to react that way.
Last but not least, the ending, which was confusing. I still don't really understand what happened and what the consequences could be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Self harm
l_lilly_05's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Vomit, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
literarypenguin's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
What a brilliant and gripping dark academia novel! I went into this book not knowing what I was going to expect but I can safely say this book surprised me.
I adored the characters in this book in particular I loved Tess as a character. She is headstrong, sarcastic and very driven. She is super protective of her little sister and spends most of her free moments playing her cello. She was content at spending most of her time alone until she runs into Eliot Birch, a young man from Britain who has a fascination for magic and witchcraft. Eliot was a great character as well, one of the things I loved about him was how much he did care about people and wanted to help them.
The dynamic between Eliot & Tess was very well developed and brilliantly written. The romance was set up wonderfully and it didnt feel fast or slow at all. It was very believably and almost felt realistic. The banter between them was very good and had several funny lines too.
The atmosphere was one of the high points of this book, it had a great dark and creepy vibe surrounding it. It was a perfect dark academia read!
While it is a YA novel, it didnt feel young. It felt like something people of all ages could pick up and read and enjoy it. I greatly appreciate that aspect of this book most of all.
I highly recommend this if you ever need a good dark academia read or a creepy read, pick this one up you won't regret it!
I adored the characters in this book in particular I loved Tess as a character. She is headstrong, sarcastic and very driven. She is super protective of her little sister and spends most of her free moments playing her cello. She was content at spending most of her time alone until she runs into Eliot Birch, a young man from Britain who has a fascination for magic and witchcraft. Eliot was a great character as well, one of the things I loved about him was how much he did care about people and wanted to help them.
The dynamic between Eliot & Tess was very well developed and brilliantly written. The romance was set up wonderfully and it didnt feel fast or slow at all. It was very believably and almost felt realistic. The banter between them was very good and had several funny lines too.
The atmosphere was one of the high points of this book, it had a great dark and creepy vibe surrounding it. It was a perfect dark academia read!
While it is a YA novel, it didnt feel young. It felt like something people of all ages could pick up and read and enjoy it. I greatly appreciate that aspect of this book most of all.
I highly recommend this if you ever need a good dark academia read or a creepy read, pick this one up you won't regret it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Body horror and Terminal illness
anniereads221's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Infidelity
elishasbookreview's review against another edition
dark
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
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Blood
marinable_books's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Self harm, Blood, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death of parent
hanarama's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Cw: abuse (physical, emotional), gore, death, fire, possession
The Good:
• Atmospheric
• Lyrical writing
• Strong premise
The Bad:
• Half-realized villain
• Undefined secondary characters
• Magic system poorly defined
You Might Like This if You Like:
• Riverdale
• The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
• Supernatural
While a good attempt, I feel like this book needed another draft or two. As it is, the book feels like an especially long episode of a CW show.
My biggest issue is in how the side characters are handled. They're cardboard cutouts at best, and the relationships between the main characters and them is ill defined. For example, much is mad about Tess hating the dean, Dr. Birch, but little reason is given for her to hate him, and he only rarely figures into the narration in Tess's chapters. She never interacts with him in the story. I really have no idea why Eliot (who gets physically/emotionally abused by Dr. Birch) thinks that Tess hates the man as much, if not more than he does. Other characters like Tess's aunt and little sister exist only as plot devices. The world feels really empty because of how little characters seem to exist outside of Tess and Eliot's limited interactions with them.
This extends to the Devil that begins haunting Tess and Eliot. For whatever reason Bovalino decides to give the devil occasional POV chapters. These chapters are very occasional and don't seem to offer much insight into the entity, or even to enhance the dread of the plot. I think it would have helped the pacing if she had either omitted these chapters, or had committed to building up the character more. As is, the devil is a fairly clichéd demon, and is about as paper thin as the other side characters.
Like the side characters, Eliot's magic is very poorly defined. Despite being a central aspect to his character, magic seems tacked on to the story like an afterthought. I feel like it needed further exploration. It feels like magic doesn't typically exist in this world outside of Eliot and this one demon book.
Another gripe I have is that Tess's backstory comes too late in the book. Without knowing her circumstances, she comes off as abrasive and a little ungrateful. She openly hates her job at the library and complains all the time, acting petty towards patrons and her coworker. I think that sharing her backstory earlier, and giving her more opportunity to spend time with her sister would have allowed me to sympathize with her from the start.
Overall mediocre with some good, spooky scenes. Bolavino has a real talent for prose, with an easy, lyrical style. I'd love to see what she writes in the future as she hones her skill further.
The Good:
• Atmospheric
• Lyrical writing
• Strong premise
The Bad:
• Half-realized villain
• Undefined secondary characters
• Magic system poorly defined
You Might Like This if You Like:
• Riverdale
• The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
• Supernatural
While a good attempt, I feel like this book needed another draft or two. As it is, the book feels like an especially long episode of a CW show.
My biggest issue is in how the side characters are handled. They're cardboard cutouts at best, and the relationships between the main characters and them is ill defined. For example, much is mad about Tess hating the dean, Dr. Birch, but little reason is given for her to hate him, and he only rarely figures into the narration in Tess's chapters. She never interacts with him in the story. I really have no idea why Eliot (who gets physically/emotionally abused by Dr. Birch) thinks that Tess hates the man as much, if not more than he does. Other characters like Tess's aunt and little sister exist only as plot devices. The world feels really empty because of how little characters seem to exist outside of Tess and Eliot's limited interactions with them.
This extends to the Devil that begins haunting Tess and Eliot. For whatever reason Bovalino decides to give the devil occasional POV chapters. These chapters are very occasional and don't seem to offer much insight into the entity, or even to enhance the dread of the plot. I think it would have helped the pacing if she had either omitted these chapters, or had committed to building up the character more. As is, the devil is a fairly clichéd demon, and is about as paper thin as the other side characters.
Like the side characters, Eliot's magic is very poorly defined. Despite being a central aspect to his character, magic seems tacked on to the story like an afterthought. I feel like it needed further exploration. It feels like magic doesn't typically exist in this world outside of Eliot and this one demon book.
Another gripe I have is that Tess's backstory comes too late in the book. Without knowing her circumstances, she comes off as abrasive and a little ungrateful. She openly hates her job at the library and complains all the time, acting petty towards patrons and her coworker. I think that sharing her backstory earlier, and giving her more opportunity to spend time with her sister would have allowed me to sympathize with her from the start.
Overall mediocre with some good, spooky scenes. Bolavino has a real talent for prose, with an easy, lyrical style. I'd love to see what she writes in the future as she hones her skill further.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
marta_correia's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Terminal illness
ridleyreadsthings's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
You had me at witchcraft and libraries. This was spooky and horrifying and so full of dark academia vibes and books I could literally smell old books and fresh ink all the way through. I loved every second, and I fell in love with both Tess and Eliot. They were great characters who were polar opposites of each other, and yet they fit together like two jigsaw pieces.
The story was unpredictable, intriguing and mysterious. It was also way darker than I thought it would be. It was well paced out and had a nice flow throughout. It was twisty and often made me question what was real and what wasnt.
The romance was well placed out, giving us time to love and appreciate our protagonists as individuals first, which I really appreciated.
The atmosphere throughout was more horrifying than spooky. There was always an eerieness that saturated the story, even when you could put your finger on it. Highly reccomend this to anyone who loved Dark Academia or is looking for a horror read full of murder, witchcraft and handsome British boys.
The story was unpredictable, intriguing and mysterious. It was also way darker than I thought it would be. It was well paced out and had a nice flow throughout. It was twisty and often made me question what was real and what wasnt.
The romance was well placed out, giving us time to love and appreciate our protagonists as individuals first, which I really appreciated.
The atmosphere throughout was more horrifying than spooky. There was always an eerieness that saturated the story, even when you could put your finger on it. Highly reccomend this to anyone who loved Dark Academia or is looking for a horror read full of murder, witchcraft and handsome British boys.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Self harm and Blood