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A review by asterope
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.
I was dragging myself through this, so time to stop.
The protagonist has a huge inferiority complex and it's really annoying. She doesn't read like an adult, more like a stunted teen who never got over not being magical. Ivy thinks of herself as far cleverer than she is, there's too much of her tedious thoughts and not enough atmosphere and intrigue befitting a mystery novel.
I don't understand why the relationship with her sister got so bad. Ivy has so much angst, but the reader can't sympathise with her.
And really, how can you make a magic school boring? I suppose I can see why another reader would like the mundanities, but to me it felt like a missed opportunity for a great concept. Maybe it's because everything is being seen through the eyes of a very bitter adult, who seems about as mature as the students themselves. This book would have worked way better when seen from the inside, without such typical American high school archetypes. Perhaps from the POV of a student instead? That also would have made the teens' interpersonal drama more believable. It's framed weirdly here, with grown adults gossiping about students' personal lives.
The whole thing is very contrived, with an unlikeable main character. And I don't mean 'morally grey but still interesting to read' - just super annoying.
The protagonist has a huge inferiority complex and it's really annoying. She doesn't read like an adult, more like a stunted teen who never got over not being magical. Ivy thinks of herself as far cleverer than she is, there's too much of her tedious thoughts and not enough atmosphere and intrigue befitting a mystery novel.
I don't understand why the relationship with her sister got so bad. Ivy has so much angst, but the reader can't sympathise with her.
And really, how can you make a magic school boring? I suppose I can see why another reader would like the mundanities, but to me it felt like a missed opportunity for a great concept. Maybe it's because everything is being seen through the eyes of a very bitter adult, who seems about as mature as the students themselves. This book would have worked way better when seen from the inside, without such typical American high school archetypes. Perhaps from the POV of a student instead? That also would have made the teens' interpersonal drama more believable. It's framed weirdly here, with grown adults gossiping about students' personal lives.
The whole thing is very contrived, with an unlikeable main character. And I don't mean 'morally grey but still interesting to read' - just super annoying.