 3.5 stars
Strange the Dreamer feels like a party I've arrived at several years too late--the building's empty, the guests have left, and I can tell a good time was had by all but I'm just...late...and the balloons are sagging toward the ground. Which is okay, it happens. I'm a little sad I missed the hype wave but in a way, it's a good thing, because the reader I was in 2017 would not have appreciated this slow, lingering, mythical honey-sap tale of becoming. Lazlo Strange is an orphan-turned-librarian obsessed with fairytales and stories. All stories, really, but the magical ones appeal to him best. And the most magical tales come from the city of Weep. Well, the city's name isn't actually Weep. It was something else... but that name is gone now, and no one seems to remember that except for Lazlo, who coveted the real name in his mind like a jewel from the deep. Now it's just "Weep", and Lazlo feels like the lack like a sore tooth that never quite heals up. But then, like the beginnings of all great stories, a caravan of delegates from the lost city of Weep show up to Lazlo's town with a need for keen minds and hearts to solve a problem. Lazlo's just a librarian—he knows that this isn't is story, but Weep is the thing he loves most in all the world. So he shoots his shot, and miraculously he is accepted. When Lazlo lays eyes on Weep, he can feel the story of his life shifting, adapting, growing to accommodate several new truths. A storyline path unfolds in front of him like those tales of myth. Lazlo is about to become a part of something much bigger. And he can't wait to begin. This story surprised me. I don't know why I was so surprised--Laini Taylor's writing is undeniably gorgeous and all of her tales are lyrical masterpieces. But for some reason, I was still surprised at Strange the Dreamer. This tale was slow. Too slow, honestly, for me. It takes a LONG time to get off the ground--haha, a pun for those who have read the story--and even when the plot starts to take shape, I found myself aching for a faster plot, a thread of urgency to arise. There is literally no pressing urgency to this story at all, which is odd considering what happens. However, those gripes aside, there is definitely a charm in this story. It grows on you, slowly, from its beautiful writing to its wholly unique premise and beyond that to the characters we come to love and hate. I can see why this book is so beloved. (I wish I loved it as much as everyone else.)
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 4.5 stars
A teenager who can follow unseen paths into new realms, a magic academy filled with hidden passageways and secrets, a looming danger, and an angsty ex-best friend drama?? Y'all, I need you try this book. Concept: ★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★ 1/2 Unique take on magic: ★★★★ Characters: ★★★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★★ A Hundred Vicious Turns is the kind of young adult fantasy that I LOVE discovering in the bookstore. When I saw this cover in the stacks, I was intrigued. Then I read the blurb, and I was hooked. It's not often you find a queer YA fantasy with a dark academia atmosphere, multiple realms, and the concept of endless magical doors. (That last one is a particularly favorite trope of mine.) Rat Evans is the heir to two magical bloodlines in the Northeast United States. They are a relatively timid and nervous teenager who has Been Through Some Stuff. That stuff happened last summer, with their ex-best-friend, Harker, and involved some dark magic, a tower, and some truly terrifying things that Rat would rather forget. (Rat can never forget. They see the Tower in their dreams.) But the summer is over, and Rat is enrolled at Bellamy Arts, an exclusive boarding school for the magical bloodlines to hone their magic. Rat doesn't practice magic anymore and actively tries to suppress their affinity for maps and mapmaking, but they know that Bellamy Arts the safest place for them to be—they need an impenetrable home base with wards that keep everyone—and everything—out. So off to school they go, with the plan to ignore their magic and just survive their way through the experience. But Bellamy Arts and the scary things in Rat's past aren't going to let Rat coast through school unscathed. And neither is the unexpected appearance of Harker, whose hatred for Rat seeps from his pores. The clock tower is chiming, the walls are closing in, and Rat's seeing doors and passageways out of the corner of their eye that no one else is able to see... and the corners are beckoning. Don't open a door that you can't close... Ahhhhhh this was so much fun, folks. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this debut and, as a testament to how much this novel gripped me, I stayed up way past my bed time to read it. The great: the concept, the setting, and the wholly unique take on magic structures and societies tied up in an interesting multiverse/realm concept that had me in a GRIP. I also loved the angsty drama between Rat and Harker, and the delicioussss slow burn friends-to-enemies-to-reluctant-partners-to-??? that they had going on. I came for the magic, I stayed for the relationship drama and the serious desire I had to discover what was going on at the heart of this story. The not-so-great: Ok, this debut had some struggles. The worst offender was the clumsy balance between the Big Plot (Rat's relationship to the tower, the antagonist, and the doors into realms) and the entire rest of the novel(the school, the side quests, the scene transitions, the "filler" for depth). There was so much to unpack with the Big Plot that the rest of the novel did suffer a lack of supplemental depth, explanations of the mundane, scene descriptions, and just soft content to pad the real-world attempts of the academy setting. To me as a reader, I didn't care overly much about the filler—it would have catapulted this review from a 4-star to a 5-star favorite, but I didn't need that to make or break my general enjoyment. I loved what I got with the unique magic + Rat's personal journey + the relationship drama. Overall, a very exciting YA debut from a queer writer to watch. Eagerly looking forward to the second book in this duology so that we can get some answers—I can't wait!  3.5 stars
This was better than the second book, but still… I don’t know. I have feelings. Plot/Pacing: ★★★ 1/2 Character development: ★★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★ My review of book one, Kingdom of the Wicked. My review of book two, Kingdom of the Cursed. This entire review is a reaction review, NOT a book summary. It is also filled with spoilers for the entire series. Please don't read if you don't want spoilers. It's a few days after my read. I intentionally let it stew for a bit to see if I felt any other types of way about it. I still feel the same, which is... conflicted. My journey with this series was a rollercoaster. I absolutely LOVED the first book. I was obsessed. As an early ARC reader, I devoured it and then spent several months hyping it up to anyone that would listen. When book two came out, I bought it and its special editions immediately—and then waited for the release of book three, because I wanted to avoid cliffhangers and read the entire series in one chunk. I'm kind of glad I did that, because if I'd read book two (Kingdom of the Cursed) right away... I likely wouldn't even be here writing a review for book three. I hated book two that much. This third book was much better than Kingdom of the Cursed—more plot, a return to Maniscalco's clear plot strength (mysteries), and the character development felt authentic again. Kingdom of the Feared had a few notable plot twists that surprised me and I felt that the ending fit Emelia's journey given her particular set of character traits. I guess... I just wanted more from this series. I wanted Wrath to be a stronger character, in line with who I thought he'd have to be after being alive for hundreds of years. (He read so young.) I also continued to find Emelia's weird blend of naivety + adult content super weird to read as an adult woman. She's like a baby in terms of life experience, and yet the plot throws her into these very New Adult situations and I'll be honest, it squicked me out a bit. Her weird switch from immature teen to Grown Adult Woman vibes in between books two and three due to... plot reasons... was also super abrupt to me. I wanted that transition to either have more time to grow organically or have it occur earlier in the story so I had time to get used to it. The immediate flip was odd. Strengths in this series—even with my lackluster feelings—were still present in Kingdom of the Feared. I think this concept is super fun. I think the realm of Hell and its various kingdoms is worth exploring further, possibly with more intention spent on character depth and unique plot structure. I loved the gimick of the seven deadly sins represented in seven men. The romantasy element there is promising—I am planning on picking up her spinoff with Envy this fall, which should lean into that quite a bit. I think the storytelling is there. I'm worried I'm alone in this corner, as a lot of other people whose reviews I trust not only LOVED book two, but they also seemed to enjoy this last book more than I did. Oh well--I still will recommend this to older teens and adult readers who don't mind a weaker plot arc.  3.5 stars
This was DENSE. And a bit overdone on the dialogue, if I’m honest. But was it something that kept me propelled, interested and aware of its unique potential? Yes. I am very intrigued to see where this series could go in future books. Concept: ★★★★ Pacing: ★★★ Balance of action vs. dialogue: ★★ World building: ★★★★★ A fallen Fury, an alchemist, some Fae, a reaper, a few gods, and some other beings walk into a bar... Like the setup for a Dungeons & Dragons plot joke, A Dark and Hollow Star is one dense boy that feels almost comedic in its self-aware density. They thicc, in other words. If you, like me, appreciate a good mashup of concepts that weave together established fantastical elements into something new—keep reading. (This is a reaction review.) I'm not quite sure what I initially expected when I bought A Dark and Hollow Star in the bookstore. It's been a few years and the memory is hazy. I remember the word "Fae" piqued my interest—an eternal buzzword for me—and then the element of a murder mystery in the blurb kept my focus. It's not often you get the words "Fae" and "murder mystery" in the same setup for a YA book. So I bought it, and then it sat on my shelf being intimidatingly large for a YA debut (this thing is 500 pages-ish). And I wondered why I didn't see people talking about this book. Well, having traveled to the other side, I now REALLY understand why this book has existed on the edges of the YA scene. It's... a lot. And frankly, I kind of wish this had aged up its characters and been produced as an adult paranormal series—because I believe that adult audience would have understood more of this novel's quirks, whereas the action-based YA market might not have been the best. With its accessible paranormal fantasy-style snarky dialogue, modern-day setting, and immediately likeable characters, this book started out strong for me. I was intrigued and captivated by the clever mashup of paranormal fae + Greek mythology Furies + other semi-spoilery elements. The opening third of this novel was a slam-dunk, one-sit read. But then, I felt this novel buckle under the weight of its own structure and collapse a bit in the middle. Snarky dialogue and random, mundane character moments can only get you so far when the stakes are as high as they are in this book. And combining so many fantasy elements + character POVs... you've got to eventually let this story's action propel us into something bigger. And I felt like that was A Dark and Hollow Star's weakness. "Weakness" might be a bit harsh, however, because unlike many, MANY other fantasies in the saturated YA market these days, this novel brought some titans to the table in terms of its character development, unique world building set-up, and promise of future plot development. Even when I disliked the pacing and lack of momentum, I couldn't put this book down. (I've DNF'd dozens of books for much less, so my staying power to complete this book is, in itself, some of my highest praise.) I look forward to seeing where this story leads in future books. And I'm crossing my fingers that the jumping-off point at the end of book one leads to some adjusted pacing and development in the later books!  2.5 stars
Small towns filled with hunters, tasked with killing nightmarish monsters each night to keep the rest of the modern world safely unaware. A girl with a burning desire to belong. A boy with secrets. Welcome to the American branch of the Luminaries. Concept: ★★★★ Pacing: ★★★ Enjoyment: ★★ Hemlock Falls isn't like other towns. You won't find it on a map, your phone won't work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you. Winnie Wednesday is a teenager with a very abnormal life. For one thing, she lives in Hemlock Falls—a town filled with clans of hunters, all driven to fight the magical nightmares that plague their forests each night. Each day of the week has a clan, and each clan hunts the nightmares on their day of the week. Except for Winnie Wednesday and her family. Because while they might be "Wednesdays" in name, the truth of the matter is... they're outcasts. So Winnie spends her days ignored, slighted, and mocked. It's not a good living. Her exiled father's one mistake costed her family's entire happiness, and now it's up to Winnie to redeem their name in the only way she knows how: by succeeding in the Hunter trials during the month of her sixteenth birthday. But there's something stranger than usual afoot in the forests of Hemlock Falls... and Winnie's about to find herself right in the middle of it. (Oh, and so will her ex-friend, Jay. The mysteriously handsome and aloof boy whom Winnie can't forgive—and yet can't forget.) My thoughts: Alright.... So I think I'm going to take this book as a sign. A sign that I, for some reason, do not vibe with Susan Dennard's stories. (I love her as a person and will continue to enjoy her on Twitter/etc.) This entire review needs to be taken with a grain of salt because I really should have stopped reading Dennard after I tried and failed to read the Witchlands series after multiple attempts. But that's neither here nor there, so let's talk about this book specifically. Have you ever read a story that feels like you SHOULD totally love it, and yet it's like just outside of your reach in a frustrating manner? That was The Luminaries for me. I loved the concept. That hooked me in from the start and continued to compel me throughout the reading experience. Each weekday clan with a motto, a cause, and some shady secrets? Sign me up! How interesting! The atmosphere and general sense of setting was darkly whimsical in the best way. But... the story itself fell flat for me. The characters felt basic, like templates of the standard YA character tropes. The plot feel both too bogged down with weird details and yet so utterly vague on large concepts. I also have one major issue, but it is a spoiler so I will keep it vague here for the purposes of this review: the town's reactions to Winnie's family? Made no sense? Literal adults, acting like that? Even family members? I just could NOT get into the logic of that. Anyways, not one for me. Which is a bummer. HOWEVER, it seems like this author's logic flow and mine maybe are at odds, so it might just be me. Give this one a try if the description interests you!  4.5 stars
"Dreaming means waking up as your worst fear," you say? Let's also add in some "eh, might die, but I can't afford to be anywhere else" vibes and I'm sold. This was such a fascinating concept and a really fun read. Concept: ★★★★★ Characters: ★★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★★ Man, I really wish I'd gotten around to my advanced reading copy sooner so that I could have been an AGGRESSIVE promoter of it during its release week. I have fallen down on my duties!! This book was such a good ride, y'all, and I am definitely paying attention now. Ness Near lives in the City of Nightmares. No wait, Gotham. No wait, it's not either of those places—it's Newham. Either way, the vibes are the same: this is not the kind of city you'd like to live in. Rampant crime and violent death. In-your-face political corruption. Unbelievable living conditions. And none of those things are the worst selling point--it's the Nightmares that you have to worry about. What if every time you dreamed, you rolled the dice on the chance that you woke up as your worst Nightmare? Ness is very aware of the tragedy and horror of that gamble. When she was younger, one night her older sister, Ruby, went to sleep and woke up as a giant, man-eating spider. Ruby was gone, and the spider in her place killed their father and others in town. Let's just say that Ness never quite got over that. Now a young adult living at the Friends of the Restless Soul compound—a charity (cough cough, cult) organization that provides "pay as you can afford" therapies to Nightmare trauma survivors—Ness is eeking away a frightened and barely there existence in the country's most dangerous city and surrounded on a daily basis by her worst fear: Nightmares. And then, to make matters worse, Ness ends up embroiled in an embroiled assassination attempt beyond her wildest imaginings and finds the little ground she's scraped and bled to assemble ripped out from under her. Oh, and then there's the Nightmare that ends up in (and on) the same boat she's in, who just might turn out to be her only friend. Yep. Things are about to get...interesting. (And that's saying something for the city of Newham, where the current Mayor keeps a Nightmared-pterodactyl on a leash to eat her political enemies.) Okay, so if you've made it this far into the review and are somehow NOT already interested, let me just say that City of Nightmares was such a fun and self-aware ride. As a reader who burned herself out on traditional young adult books, it's getting rarer and rarer these days for me to find a hook that invites me into a story. I'd like something new—that I haven't read before—and I'd like it to be done well and with the right amount of believable character traits. I'm ruthless with my reading tastes when I want to be, and for the past year the genre under the chopping block has been young adult fantasy. But not this one. This one, I devoured. Ness is the right kind of character for this story. In a world where fear itself is the commodity of choice, Ness is true scaredy cat. She's a self-professed coward, one who can barely handle the benign Nightmares that walk the streets harmlessly, not to mention the actually dangerous ones. Ness jumps from safe zone to safe zone under the constant internalized threat of Death by Nightmare. She's a right mess, alright? And that really worked for me. While we all like to pretend we're relatable to the hero of a fantasy story, we're really...not. How many of us would sign up for that dangerous quest, or that big bad boss showdown, or that heist against the odds? I'm self-aware enough to admit that given the actual facts, I'd be like Ness. "How can I survive this experience and avoid personal damage to the best of my abilities, please?" Sign me up for that self-preservation track. Yup. So I thought that thread of character realism in this caricaturized, fictional version of our real world's dark side was awesome. It lent a dose of grounding to the sensational world building. And it made for a very good reading experience. Did the pacing lag a bit? Yeah. Did we also kind of rush things there at the end of this first book? Maybe. But honestly, I had such a good time that I don't really care about that. Book two, I'm waiting for you! Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.  3.5 stars
A girl who can't die and falls slowly in love with Death? I love it. Add in some gothic manor nonsense and an interesting murder ghost story and this had the makings of something very cool... Characters: ★★★ Pacing: ★★★ 1/2 Setting: ★★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★ Signa's early life has been a rotating door of tragedies and dead guardians. Like the Baudelaire children in A Series of Unfortunate Events, it seems like every single person charged with caring for Signa ends up...dead. Unlike the Baudelaire children, however, Signa's deaths aren't the result of a bad guy. They're a result of... Signa herself. By accident, and by Fate. And by Death, too. Death seems to have taken a very keen interest in Signa due to the fact that she can't seem to die. Broken neck, poisonous berry feasts, unfortunate accidents—nothing phases Signa for long, and nothing keeps her down. Death finds himself interested in her development, and Signa finds herself prickly toward Death, this being who keeps ruining her life. Signa's life takes another turn as we come to meet her. She's 17, her terrible caretaker has died (again) and now it seems she's going to be taken to her late mother's brother, who owns a crumbling estate. The Hawthorn Estate—the perfect gothic mansion setup, complete with uneasy atmosphere, a dying cousin, and a ghost that seems to be causing trouble. What better person to have on the scene of an in-progress murder than the girl who can't be killed? It's up to Signa to solve the case of her cousin's murder before it kills her, and to unwrap the secrets behind her late Aunt's untimely demise. It's a dark puzzle with a lot of twists, and Signa's determined to get to the bottom of it. She refuses to let another guardian die on her watch—Death be damned. Death just might BE damned, actually, because as he finds himself enraptured by Signa and drawn closer into her allure, things start to heat up for his cold, cold heart... Belladonna is the kind of young adult fantasy read with the perfect dose of lush romanticism and gothic atmosphere. It's a decadent treat for the readers who like manor houses, somewhat creepy ghosts, and drama with a capital D. It's also for those of us who love when Death is a character. Especially when Death is a character and emotional invested in the main character. (Too niche? It's me to a T, so I'm guessing there are others out there who agree with me.) I don’t know why I didn’t love this as much as I expected to, but I just… could not get invested. It might have been a case of young adult vs. adult reader and me (the adult) expecting more, unfairly, as young adult books are for young adults. It could also have been the case of "I've read too many stories with X,Y, and Z" and therefore it couldn't hold too much of my attention. Whatever the case was for this particular blend of reader vs. read, I think it's safe to say it was a "me" problem as others seem to adore this story. I will agree with the popular opinions when it came to the deliciously angsty and interesting arc between Signa and Death. That was the strongest part of the novel for me and clearly the emotional heart of the story. I wish we'd spent more time with that storyline and less with the murder mystery/manor characters. It was clear that they were the situational arc that was supposed to be the backdrop for Signa and Death's actual storyline. However, again, small potatoes for those who like those kinds of setups and enjoying long-form descriptions and immersed gothic atmospheres. Gripes aside, I found that the very last chapter peaked my interest... More complex magic is afoot in future installments. I would be curious to see what the author does with the second book.  2.5 stars
A girl made of lies who can see the threads of fate. A prince with an interesting fate for the girl to weave around her. A plot, a curse, and some blood magic. This had all the makings of an interesting spin on the YA fantasy court tropes... Concept: ★★★★ Plot: ★★ Character arcs: ★★ Enjoyment: ★★ Violet is the official Seer of the kingdom. From a child of the streets to the pampered Seer in the tall tower, Violet's rise to riches involved one simple moment: she saw the future and saved the Prince's life. Ever since that fateful day, Violet has done all that she could to keep her position as the powerful court Seer and personal advisor on all things fate to the King. She likes her cushy job, ok? And she's willing to fight tooth and claw to keep it. That fighting instinct is sorely tested with Prince Cyrus. Ever since Violet saved Cyrus' life, Cyrus has been the worst. They're basically nemesis now, with Cyrus hating Violet—her incessant lies to "save" the kingdom per his father's orders are apparently a personal betrayal—and Violet detesting Cyrus for making her daily life as difficult as possible. There's a fine line between love and hate... However, the hatred between these two reluctant coworkers has nothing on the drama waiting from them in this tale. Violet and Cyrus have bigger problems now: there's a curse coming for them both, and whole lot of deadly magic with inescapable consequences. With the fate of the kingdom, Cyrus, and her own life placed in Violet's hands, things are about the get interestingly deadly. Alright, y'all. Let's talk about it. Given my low rating, you can tell that this story really, really didn't gel for me. That was due to multiple different aspects. I thought the fixation on Violet and Cyrus' hatred toward each other was a bit over the top and nonsensical after a certain point. From "I HATE YOU" screaming to passion, this arc was somehow both basic and overcomplicated for me. For me, it reduced both Violet and Cyrus' character development down to this one trope. I also had a hard time with the balance between worldbuilding, plot, and character development. This might have been a “me” problem, but it felt like this story constantly pivoted away from whatever I wanted to have next… When it was time for an action point, we went into a snarky internal Violet moment. When it was time for some character growth between people, it seemed like we jumped into world building descriptions. I don’t know, it was off to me for the entire read. All in all, not a new favorite read for me. But this might find its audience in younger readers less well versed in the genre. I'd recommend this to young tweens and newer fantasy readers without hesitation.  4.5 stars
For those of us who can straddle the lines between dark death, wry humor, and quick fantasy—this one's for us. And for anyone who's ever been interested in the Black Death plague. Concept: ★★★ 1/2 Plot/Pacing: ★★★★ Humor: ★★★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★★ Cas is on his way home. He's got a lot of PTSD and some new scars. He's the sole plague survivor of a POW labor camp for the enemy. He's also got an interesting and upsettingly new ability to see ghosts of the recently dead. And he's got a horse. (That last one is the most important, as he's also scant broke and is trying to get home.) Cas is dealing with a lot, obviously. The last thing he needs is a random girl stealing his one horse out from under him. Luckily, the girl gets stuck and needs some help—so now Cas has a horse AND and a girl...and still a bunch of emotional baggage. Cas would rather not have two of those three things, but hey, no one's ever asked for his opinion on the matter. Cas is on his way home to his family's city estate and desperately hoping his brother made it out of the plague times alive. But when he gets home and is returned into the royal fold as the official Lord Cassia once more, Cas discovers more things have changed than just his own backstory—the royal court is now in residence at his own family's estate. And they've brought the enemy with them. Now embroiled in an assassination plot, armed with baggage, and working through a bizarre interest in his horse thief girl—who is revealed to be the court's historian AND half-sister to the king, to boot—Cas has a lot on his plate. He'd really just like the quiet life. But needs must, and Cas is nothing if not a wry utilitarian. There's things to be done. Wow. I'd like to start by saying that Year of the Reaper is a book that I should have picked up a LONG time ago. I loved it. The fact that I picked it up at all was by chance—Fairyloot included it in their book box and it arrived on my doorstep. I feel compelled, obviously, to read those books. I would have never picked up the U.S. version based on its artwork... and what a shame that would have been, because this book was my vibe to perfection. Macabre reading fans, rejoice! This novel could have been depressing. It also could have used the Black Death inspiration as a shameless plot device and not done the topic justice. Year of the Reaper did neither of these things. In a true slice of grace, the author managed to write a novel that paid homage to the horrors, grief, and lingering fears of a generation dealing with extensive and unaccountable trauma while somehow maintaining a thread of hope and dose of wry humor. This was so, so deftly handled, I'm a bit in awe considering this novel's standalone status and shorter page count. Pick this one up if you can! It's a gem in the genre.  3.5 stars
This has a house vibe, a trapped cat-and-mouse vibe, AND a vampire romance. Say no more. I definitely read the heck out of this and had a fun time. Concept: ★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★ 1/2 Enjoyment: ★★★ It's current-day. Vampires have replaced the world of human celebrities and rich people with their emergence unto the world stage in their unworldly beauty. With a global fanbase, reality TV shows, and world news turned toward them, the five official vampire houses exist at the very top of society. Naturally, humans are a part of this capitalist/celebrity food chain—literally. To accommodate the vampires' need for blood and to satisfy the masses of humans obsessed with their allure, the five vampire houses have a system in place for blood donors. You can submit to become a blood donor, get paid for your time, and spend a set amount of time inside the vampire house. The catch? You sign a contract, you can't leave until they let you, and sometimes people don't come back out... Renie Mayfield has just been accepted as a blood donor for the house of Belle Morte. But she's not the typical groupie looking for a blood fix and some dangerous sex. She's looking for her missing sister, June. June disappeared in Belle Morte's house several months ago. And Renie is going to find her. The only problem is, one of the vampires has a special interest in Renie. And Renie can't help but notice him back... Cue the angst, the forbidden romance, and the drama of a locked-house atmosphere... Belle Morte is something you need to have on your radar if you're a fan of the late 2000s and early 2010s vampire teen romance fiction. This book is clearly a love letter to that type of story, and it definitely attracted the right audience—I was a sucker for those then, and I had a nostalgically good time with this one too. Was this amazingly written? Not really. Was this an original plot? Almost no. But did this give vampire fans something fun to read in the current era where vampire romances are harder to come by? Oh heck yes. Come for the fun, not the literary value. Belle Morte is waiting. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review. |
Amy Imogene ReadsJust someone looking for her own door into Wonderland. Categories
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All reviews posted are my own and do not reflect the opinions of any other individual or entity. When applicable, reviewed titles sent to me by the publisher are noted at the bottom of each review.
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