A review by fela_feli
Battle of the Beasts by Chris Columbus, Ned Vizzini

adventurous emotional funny sad fast-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

4.5

this book 😭 i honestly don't know why but i remember this one being better than the first for some reason? when i read it when i was 11, i could have sworn i liked book 2 better than book 1. but this time around, book 1 was better than 2. ofc this one wasn't bad! i really enjoyed it. but the ending didn't satisfy me.

also i didn't remember it ending on a cliffhanger but it does. they see fat jagger at the end? in the real world?

i love will, though! always have and always will (haha, get it). i love his big ass ego and i love that he's like an older brother to brendan and eleanor! but istg he and cordelia are actually so frustrating to read about, as cute as they are.

because they have like these cute little moments but then it was like, one-sided both times?? somehow. like in the first book, cordelia likes will but will for the most part sees her as a friend and a child. and then in the second book, will is down bad for her and she suddenly doesn't like him at all??? like girl... there is nothing more frustrating than this. and ugh the plane scene ☹ i love will sm and everything but the sudden kiss? and him confessing his love to her out of nowhere was uh.. yeah. and then she rejected him and i felt SO BAD like nooo. but i can understand where cordelia is coming from, like she's not ready to be with anyone yet. but like? towards the end she literally says she wants her first bf to be a real person and like ok great but?? girl u literally said will was real to u in the first few chapters. PLUS will's whole thing is like feeling bad about not being real. give my man a break it's not his fault he's a fictional character ok cordelia!!! if u won't take him then i will bc tf he deserves better. but as much as he deserves better, my inner child aches for will to end up with her. PLSPLSPLSPLS in the third book. pls. or i will cry.

and felix!! omg. my 2nd book bf. he wasn't really all that relevant, i would say. but he was so cutie patootie.

him not knowing how to read and eleanor, will and cordelia helping him was so cute. and will being jealous of him was literally so adorable. i wish he was even more jealous and acting all petty bc that would be such a will thing to do. also literally why did felix and will lowkey have better chemistry than cordelia and will or cordelia and felix LMAO. like i wish will and felix stayed as enemies for longer just because their banter would have been so funny. they're giving enemies to lovers. also the fact he chose to stay with will at the end. WHICH REMINDS ME THAT ENDING MADE ME CRY. because will choosing to stay and saying goodbye to the walkers was so emotional (with felix less emotional bc he was around for less longer) and like? i can understand why will would rather stay in the books. like he believes that's where he belongs and he didn't like his experience in the real world. i mean, my man ended up in jail AND homeless 😭 which, btw. that part didn't make much sense to me. like? why didn't he just go back to the walkers? he'd rather stay homeless than go see them bc of his pride?? what. ok. but that does seem kinda like smth will would do now that i think about it. but still!! but ok wtv.

i think, overall, eleanor got to shine a lot more in this book and that's actually wonderful for her! i love her sm. she's the sweetest.

brendan kinda being seperated from them for a huge portion of the book sucked, though.

and overall, the book was good! funny. made me smile. but also made me want to tear my hair out so much.

the wind witch being their great great grandmother was so random but like?? woohoo? i guess. she can't kill them. so, what, she's basically a useless villain now? ok then. i just hope the third book isn't complete trash and will and felix BETTER be in it. otherwise i will kill myself. and it better give me everything 11 year old me wanted or else i will jump off a cliff.