allisoncc's reviews
494 reviews

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

adventurous emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

ever read a ya book as a grown up and go.... yep, i'm too old for this? this is one of those books

caveat - i have really enjoyed Kiersten White's other books I've read (one of which being YA), but this one was just maybe too angsty? Perhaps it's the vibes from 10 years ago too, bleeding in.

that being said i liked the premise. anyone who knows me irl knows i am a big fan of anything that's going to use Egyptian mythology, which was pretty central to this book, but at the same time felt kind of like a skin put on top of a teen angst book.

the narrator did a great job, and 14 old me would have loved this, 35+ me was just ok with it... good enough to listen to while doing the dishes and see all the way through, but not something i'm going to push on my friends (there are other books in the author's repertoire that i will/do)

A River Enchanted, by Rebecca Ross

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adventurous emotional mysterious slow-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

The First to Die at the End, by Adam Silvera

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emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

fully what i would expect in a prequel to They Both Die at the End. joy. sadness. unexpected and yet fully expected. Silvera gives us age old questions presented in a new way; how would you live if you knew today was your last day? it was different to examine this question now that i've experienced closer and unexpected deaths in the family versus when i read the first one. there were way more hospital scenes in this one and a near fatal car crash as backstory.

the tale of Valentino and Orion also reminded me how far we've come in the 13 years since 2010 when this book is set (and how far we have yet to go). the ensemble was really flushed out this time and wow as much as i loved Val & Orion, gosh i HATED some of the other characters (as i'm supposed to)

also these books are the *only* time i'm going to love instalove given the time frame and the unprecedented circumstances the characters dealing with Death Cast have in their fictional lives.

Content Warnings