Reviews

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

kaceyc's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

veganheathen's review against another edition

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3.0

I both liked and disliked this book. Apparently, it’s a retelling of Jane Eyre, but I haven’t read that so I have no frame of reference.

Firstly, things I liked: Andromeda is a strong, independent woman of colour who is finding her own way in the world. She is full of strength and perseverance and so much optimism even though she’s lived a very hard life. I really enjoyed the supernatural elements of this book. The debtera and their amulets are great fun and so very interesting.

Dislikes: Magnus is a petulant child and so obnoxious. He’s spoiled, soft and entitled and does not seem like someone Andi would want a romantic relationship with in my opinion. He assumes too much and Andi lets him, which is the type of behaviour often indicative of a future abuser. I feel like they would have been better off as forging a strong friendship. Jember is horrible and incredibly abusive and often gaslights. Andi almost seems to have a bit of Stockholm Syndrome. It’s awful. His romantic arc is also worthy of many heavy sighs and eye rolls.

Honestly, I didn’t know this book would have all these romantic tones to everything, which I don’t typically enjoy. It was a quick read and I enjoyed most of it, though.

b4d3m's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

vonderbash's review against another edition

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3.0

The magic in this book is different and very interesting. I mostly liked the characters. The writing style was pretty good, and since this is the author’s first book, I’m excited to see how it evolves in her next books. The book has enough action and creepy moments that keep you hooked. It reminded me a lot of Mexican Gothic.

I received an ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.

janagaton's review against another edition

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3.0

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC! If I read this physically rather than on my phone, I definitely wouldn't have taken 4 months to get through it. I say that because the writing was beautiful, and I absolutely loved the romance. The relationships between the characters were hands down my favorite parts of the book. Loved that this was a Jane Eyre retelling, and I can't wait to see what else this author writes!

tatyanavogt's review against another edition

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2.0

I was SOOOOOO excited about this book, but it was not what I expected and I wasn't happy with how the romance aspect was handled and that it felt like a bigger part of the story than I would have liked. The haunted house aspect had a few nice moments but took a back seat to the romance and the overall vibes of the story felt lacking. I can see how some people would enjoy this but sadly it was not for me. I did like the characters and the idea but I just wasn't a big fan of the execution.

For more thoughts check out my Reading Vlog: https://youtu.be/3pIbyhFoAeo

kbkittyb's review against another edition

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2.0

*2.5 stars*

Not for me!

Not very well written, some things such as the 'bottle up the flu' incident was just not needed, overly religious, and the ending fell flat. The characters, however, were well written and likable. Although the Rochester character was waayy too sweet and loveable to he talked about as awkward.

Overrated I'm afraid. I liked the thinly veiled references to Jane Eyre, but it should not be classed as a reimagining of it.

Disappointing ending...seemed rushed and left a lot to be desired

A nice quick read that wasn't boring...but I won't be rereading.

melsmagicalreads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

emilye3's review against another edition

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2.0

I was really disappointed in this book. It had good atmosphere but the romance was too insta lovey and I really didn’t understand why the MC was interested in the love interest in the first place. I like two of the side characters (Saba and Jember). The only reason I didn’t dnf this was because I wanted to see what happened with Jember. I wish more had been explained and that the plot was more focused on. This was not for me.

arloq's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25