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saranwrap18's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
nasalle2842's review against another edition
4.0
While reading this I kept going back and forth between 3 and 4 stars, but then I got to the last line and it solidified my 4 stars. It's not a 5 star read for me because I think it could've been about 150 pages shorter, and if it had been shorter I think we could've had better development/storytelling with a few characters. Some things in the middle dragged along while some things towards the end were rushed.
Overall, really fun read. The atmosphere isn't nearly as spooky as the first book in the series but there were two creepy scenes that stuck with me throughout the entire book.
Overall, really fun read. The atmosphere isn't nearly as spooky as the first book in the series but there were two creepy scenes that stuck with me throughout the entire book.
dsarbear's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
eviesellers's review against another edition
4.0
NOT THE CLIFFHANGER AT THE END....omg these are such good books i need another one NOW
bethanyarriaga's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.5
This book! The first third or so is a bit on the slower side. But man, that third was a wild ride! It was also a perfect book to read in the Fall. Just the right spooky vibes without being too spooky.
kristyloves2read's review against another edition
4.0
I don't even know where to begin!!!!
Verity Oh Verity!
Okay, this review is going to be full of spoilers!
First off, I cannot believe that the sisters kept the secret of Varity seeing ghosts from her for years! This should have been revealed to Verity so long ago. I get keeping it from her soon after the events of 12 years ago, to not scare her, but as she grew older???? Shame on Camille!!!
But then she runs away to Bloem and into the mad hands of the Laurent family and she has no sense of self-preservation! Even as she senses problems she just pushes head-on ignoring the warning and the inner voices. I was so mad at Variety for most of this book! She is so intelligent and so dumb!
This story has so many twists, every time you thought you knew the truth, you learned more, but I have to say it's the ending that gets you.
The Laurent head Gerard is a celebrated botanist and a madman who honestly deserved a much worse ending than he got. His wife Dauphine isn't much better and what they did to all those children, especially their own is horrendous. Even exiling them, you would think as a mother she would want to visit her two exiled sons, small children when they are sent away, even despite what they did, they were so young.
Gerard does everything in 3's, but how he guaranteed that each of those women had triplets is never explained. Still, he and Dauphine had three sons Jullian, Victor, and Alexander. It seems that Jullian is born able to hear thoughts, but also without emotions, Victor is born capable of starting fires and with all the emotions unchecked, and finally the third triplet Alexander with no special powers or faults that can be seen, so what do mom and dad do? They separate them and hide the two other children away from the world, leaving Alex to be the visible son.
At four years old the other two, tired of being hidden, push Alexnder down off a balcony and send him to his death, only he doesn't die, leading Gerad to think he is immortal, but the fall leaves Alex a cripple. So they ship the other two boys away and forget they exist. Duh, no wonder they want revenge!
Alex doesn't remember any of this, also not a surprise, but Gerard is an idiot who can't see his things being moved, or his plans being disrupted, or even that his son is being poisoned, despite knowing that Victor and Jullien have escaped their prison! How does a man obsessed with preciseness not see that his things have been touched!!!
I loved reading this story, but there were a lot of inconsistencies and that is the ultimate reason this is a 4-star read instead of a 5-star. Maybe book 3 will explain more and will give us a better understanding, and book 3 better considering how this book ends!!!
As to that ending! If Verity married Victor I am going to be so MAD!!!! Having him almost call her Ver instead of Verity and then having him cross his legs! Oh no! His eyes are swollen so Verity can't really see the eye differences, but the body language? Please don't let it be Victor! Please let it be a side effect of the second fall, that has somehow miraculously allowed movement in his legs!!! But then also, the moving hand of the body that is supposed to be Victor, does that mean that he is immortal too? Or if that is Alex, that Alex is Alive? I mean come on!!!!
I still had questions about how book 1 ended and now book 2 does this!!!! Ok, enough ranting! Book 3 please explain!
Verity Oh Verity!
Okay, this review is going to be full of spoilers!
First off, I cannot believe that the sisters kept the secret of Varity seeing ghosts from her for years! This should have been revealed to Verity so long ago. I get keeping it from her soon after the events of 12 years ago, to not scare her, but as she grew older???? Shame on Camille!!!
But then she runs away to Bloem and into the mad hands of the Laurent family and she has no sense of self-preservation! Even as she senses problems she just pushes head-on ignoring the warning and the inner voices. I was so mad at Variety for most of this book! She is so intelligent and so dumb!
This story has so many twists, every time you thought you knew the truth, you learned more, but I have to say it's the ending that gets you.
The Laurent head Gerard is a celebrated botanist and a madman who honestly deserved a much worse ending than he got. His wife Dauphine isn't much better and what they did to all those children, especially their own is horrendous. Even exiling them, you would think as a mother she would want to visit her two exiled sons, small children when they are sent away, even despite what they did, they were so young.
Gerard does everything in 3's, but how he guaranteed that each of those women had triplets is never explained. Still, he and Dauphine had three sons Jullian, Victor, and Alexander. It seems that Jullian is born able to hear thoughts, but also without emotions, Victor is born capable of starting fires and with all the emotions unchecked, and finally the third triplet Alexander with no special powers or faults that can be seen, so what do mom and dad do? They separate them and hide the two other children away from the world, leaving Alex to be the visible son.
At four years old the other two, tired of being hidden, push Alexnder down off a balcony and send him to his death, only he doesn't die, leading Gerad to think he is immortal, but the fall leaves Alex a cripple. So they ship the other two boys away and forget they exist. Duh, no wonder they want revenge!
Alex doesn't remember any of this, also not a surprise, but Gerard is an idiot who can't see his things being moved, or his plans being disrupted, or even that his son is being poisoned, despite knowing that Victor and Jullien have escaped their prison! How does a man obsessed with preciseness not see that his things have been touched!!!
I loved reading this story, but there were a lot of inconsistencies and that is the ultimate reason this is a 4-star read instead of a 5-star. Maybe book 3 will explain more and will give us a better understanding, and book 3 better considering how this book ends!!!
As to that ending! If Verity married Victor I am going to be so MAD!!!! Having him almost call her Ver instead of Verity and then having him cross his legs! Oh no! His eyes are swollen so Verity can't really see the eye differences, but the body language? Please don't let it be Victor! Please let it be a side effect of the second fall, that has somehow miraculously allowed movement in his legs!!! But then also, the moving hand of the body that is supposed to be Victor, does that mean that he is immortal too? Or if that is Alex, that Alex is Alive? I mean come on!!!!
I still had questions about how book 1 ended and now book 2 does this!!!! Ok, enough ranting! Book 3 please explain!
elisa13's review against another edition
3.0
Già dalle prime pagine si capiva che questo secondo capitolo della saga avrebbe avuto un ritmo del tutto diverso dal primo. Il primo è un susseguirsi di morti ed eventi che portano allo sviluppo della trama, questo è un lento waltzer che solo verso la fine prende il volo.
Per quanto Verity mi sia piaciuta nel primo, qui, nella sua fine adolescenza, la trovo superficiale e frettolosa. Si lega al primo arrivato che le offre un minimo di libertà e indipendenza da una sorella iperprotettiva, ma che alla fine la salva sempre.
Ha istinto e non si fida, ha un dono e non lo sfrutta anzi lo tratta come una maledizione. Mille campanelli di allarme e… nulla, lei si inganna da sola.
E quel finale? Lo sappiamo tutti chi davvero sia lui, vero? Non di vuole certo un genio a fare due più due, eppure lei non ci arriva. E meno male che assicura più e più volte durante la storia di conoscerlo meglio di quanto conosce se stessa.
Una nota positiva pero, almeno, c’è: questo secondo capitolo sì che lascia aperto uno spazio per un seguito. E che spazio! Gli ha praticamente aperto un portone! Se però bisogna aspettare altri quattro anni per l’uscita del terzo, non credo che avrò ancora addosso la stessa curiosità che ho ora.
È una storia in se per se originale, macabra e dark come il primo volume, ma facilmente semplificabile a duecento pagine meno.
Almeno in questo non c’è propriamente l’amore a prima vista, ma più un lenti e sofferto percorso di innamoramento.
Per quanto Verity mi sia piaciuta nel primo, qui, nella sua fine adolescenza, la trovo superficiale e frettolosa. Si lega al primo arrivato che le offre un minimo di libertà e indipendenza da una sorella iperprotettiva, ma che alla fine la salva sempre.
Ha istinto e non si fida, ha un dono e non lo sfrutta anzi lo tratta come una maledizione. Mille campanelli di allarme e… nulla, lei si inganna da sola.
E quel finale? Lo sappiamo tutti chi davvero sia lui, vero? Non di vuole certo un genio a fare due più due, eppure lei non ci arriva. E meno male che assicura più e più volte durante la storia di conoscerlo meglio di quanto conosce se stessa.
Una nota positiva pero, almeno, c’è: questo secondo capitolo sì che lascia aperto uno spazio per un seguito. E che spazio! Gli ha praticamente aperto un portone! Se però bisogna aspettare altri quattro anni per l’uscita del terzo, non credo che avrò ancora addosso la stessa curiosità che ho ora.
È una storia in se per se originale, macabra e dark come il primo volume, ma facilmente semplificabile a duecento pagine meno.
Almeno in questo non c’è propriamente l’amore a prima vista, ma più un lenti e sofferto percorso di innamoramento.
egarner55's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0