A review by lateromantic
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

This book feels like it was written for a pitch, rather than to a pitch - like 'The Secret Garden x Crimson Peak', some aesthetic images, and 'I long for the sweet embrace of death but make it a YA novel'. Learning that the author is a storyteller from TV makes sooooo much sense - this would make a beautiful film or series, but is ill-suited to the medium it's in, like it's two books smooshed together, and it feels like it's missing the transitional or reflective scenes that would naturally be cut from a show. I'm not so much of a plot-focussed reader, so it wasn't for me, and the craft of writing, which is important to me and not other readers, felt missing, so it felt a bit like wasted potential, but if you're more into YA than I am then I can see why you'd love it. Not for me, and I won't be reading the rest, but that doesn't make it bad.
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