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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
Reread: 12/16/18
Rating 5/5 Stars
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More reviews like this one can be found on my blog, CoffeeCocktailsandBooks
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Review
Now, if you've been following me for a while, you'll know this is easily one of my favorite series. I've been obsessed with it since reading it last year and I've actually already done a video on this book, so if you wanna watch that, here ya go (it was one of my early videos...so sorry for the shit audio).
Baby Alastor is in it, if you want some feels lol.
But yeah, I love this book so so much. I honestly wish it was like 200 pages longer because I enjoy it so much and I didn't want it to end. But I also like the pacing this book had being on the shorter side.
This book is jam packed with diversity. Nancy is asexual and her asexuality is talked about on the page. Kade is trans. We have side characters who are LGBT (we find this out in later books, fyi) and we have different cultures and ethnicities represented as well (again, fleshed out more in later books).
I also love the plot for this book so so much. It starts off as a girl who returns to our world from an Underworld and is sent to Elenor West's Home to Wayward Children. Then things start to go wrong and this turns into a bit of a murder mystery in the second half.
Probably my favorite part of this book (and series as a whole) is learning about the different worlds that the children go through. Nancy's Underworld is very reminiscent of Ancient Greece, between people acting like statues and Nancy eating pomegranate seeds. As a lover of Ancient Greece and Greek mythology, I loved this world.
I also really enjoyed the fact that Elenor has been trying to map the worlds (Nonsense vs. Logic, Wicked vs. Virtue, and some other directions). I think that's such a creative way to look at the worlds and really allows for a lot of potential for this world to grow. Right now there are 8 books projected (5 announced/released and 3 that need to be announced) and honestly they can release 100 and I'd probably read all of them.
I thought the characters in this book was were fun and compelling and the murder mystery was a turn I wasn't expecting this book to go in. Because the book is so short, the mystery was solved pretty quickly. Though I did like the resolution and motive behind the murders.
Um, because this book is so short, I don't think I can talk about it anymore without going into spoiler territory, so I will end it here. I do urge you to pick up this book if you haven't already. It's been getting a lot of hype, and for good reason. It's a fun portal fantasy with diverse characters and a fun and compelling plot.
I highly recommend this one for lovers of fantasy, short books, and portal fantasies (i.e. Alice in Wonderland).
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Read: 9/1/17
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Review: Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
I can't wait to pick up the next one.
Rating 5/5 Stars
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More reviews like this one can be found on my blog, CoffeeCocktailsandBooks
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Review
Now, if you've been following me for a while, you'll know this is easily one of my favorite series. I've been obsessed with it since reading it last year and I've actually already done a video on this book, so if you wanna watch that, here ya go (it was one of my early videos...so sorry for the shit audio).
Baby Alastor is in it, if you want some feels lol.
But yeah, I love this book so so much. I honestly wish it was like 200 pages longer because I enjoy it so much and I didn't want it to end. But I also like the pacing this book had being on the shorter side.
This book is jam packed with diversity. Nancy is asexual and her asexuality is talked about on the page. Kade is trans. We have side characters who are LGBT (we find this out in later books, fyi) and we have different cultures and ethnicities represented as well (again, fleshed out more in later books).
I also love the plot for this book so so much. It starts off as a girl who returns to our world from an Underworld and is sent to Elenor West's Home to Wayward Children. Then things start to go wrong and this turns into a bit of a murder mystery in the second half.
“For us, places we went were home. We didn't care if they were good or evil or neutral or what. We cared about the fact that for the first time, we didn't have to pretend to be something we weren't. We just got to be. That made all the difference in the world.”
Probably my favorite part of this book (and series as a whole) is learning about the different worlds that the children go through. Nancy's Underworld is very reminiscent of Ancient Greece, between people acting like statues and Nancy eating pomegranate seeds. As a lover of Ancient Greece and Greek mythology, I loved this world.
I also really enjoyed the fact that Elenor has been trying to map the worlds (Nonsense vs. Logic, Wicked vs. Virtue, and some other directions). I think that's such a creative way to look at the worlds and really allows for a lot of potential for this world to grow. Right now there are 8 books projected (5 announced/released and 3 that need to be announced) and honestly they can release 100 and I'd probably read all of them.
I thought the characters in this book was were fun and compelling and the murder mystery was a turn I wasn't expecting this book to go in. Because the book is so short, the mystery was solved pretty quickly. Though I did like the resolution and motive behind the murders.
Um, because this book is so short, I don't think I can talk about it anymore without going into spoiler territory, so I will end it here. I do urge you to pick up this book if you haven't already. It's been getting a lot of hype, and for good reason. It's a fun portal fantasy with diverse characters and a fun and compelling plot.
I highly recommend this one for lovers of fantasy, short books, and portal fantasies (i.e. Alice in Wonderland).
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Read: 9/1/17
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Review: Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
I can't wait to pick up the next one.
You: matcha yaar we cannot expect fiction to have bang on representation and fleshed out characters in a story that is essentially fantasy but yet comments on so much, AND deals with sexuality and identity in a way that adolescents will understand... we cannot be over critical, there are bound to be flaws
Me: *points to this book* that's just 160 pages and still destroyed everything you just said
Me: *points to this book* that's just 160 pages and still destroyed everything you just said
3.5 - still not my absolute fave, but i do wanna continue cuz i think i could really love this with more development
Me crying? Pff! I have no idea what you're talking about! Got hooked on it right away, reminded me of Miss Peregrine's, too! I just loved it, the characters are easy — oh, so easy to love! I cannot wait for tomorrow where I'll start the second book!
I adore this type of writing style. That slightly whimsical with an edge. The ending was a little bittersweet, but I loved it. 5 stars.
I need to ask McGuire a serious question: how in the hell did they resist the temptation to dive in and build every single world in this book??? I want them all. I want them allllllll.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good premise but somewhat stunted execution. Not enough world building for me.
Based on the title, I thought this book would be whimsical. Instead it was macabre and crass. This is much more of a Horror novel than a Fantasy story.