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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read a lot of hype about this book, so thought I would give it a try, but stopped halfway through because I was tired of the weak writing and offended by some of the things that both author and characters take for granted is normal. Regarding the former: the writing is cliched and unsophisticated. Some examples: at one point, the narrator proclaims to herself that she will just observe and "soak everything up like the red-headed sponge that I am." Being red-headed is completely irrelevant in that context. Just empty words. Lots of that throughout. In another place, she uses the phrase "going forward," which is always empty. There is no other way to go, unless there is time travel, which there is not in this book (or at least there is no indication that it exists in the first half of the novel). She just meant "in future," and whenever you're talking about events that are yet to come you are necessarily talking about the future, and the phrase doesn't have to be said. Regarding the latter: in Harley's first encounter with the coven, they restrain her physically (using magic) so that they can forcibly draw blood which she has not only not given them permission to do, but which she has, in fact, explicitly denied them permission to do. Everyone, including Harley, is fine with that after, but I was not. Might as well be rape. Not interested in the rest of this book or others in the series.
Loved it! Absolutely loved it. It's like Harry Potter meets Charmed meets Supernatural. Funny, adventurous, mystery... Harley is very relatable. I love her sass and snarky comments. Highly recommend. Can't wait to read book 2 in the series!
This is a good first book, introducing a new magical world and system. A little simplistic, but definitely worth the read!
I give up...
God save us from yet another novel about a redhead with poor impulse control. That cliche was old when L.M. Montgomery wrote "Anne of Green Gables" over a hundred years ago.
This book started out with a very promising first chapter and then just went into full on Harry Potter mode (substitute Witch for Wizard, San Diego Coven for Hogwarts, look there's a gender-bent Harry and Hermione, there's Malfoy and his lackeys, oh look that must be Hagrid and Dumbledore). The writing is horribly derivative and poorly edited, the plot is telegraphed so blatantly that you expect to see semaphore flags on the pages, the characters are all supposedly adults who act like hormone crazed high school children.
I tried to hang on to the end to see if I read the semaphore flags correctly but frankly it's not worth the effort, there are better books to listen to and better ways to spend my time.
God save us from yet another novel about a redhead with poor impulse control. That cliche was old when L.M. Montgomery wrote "Anne of Green Gables" over a hundred years ago.
This book started out with a very promising first chapter and then just went into full on Harry Potter mode (substitute Witch for Wizard, San Diego Coven for Hogwarts, look there's a gender-bent Harry and Hermione, there's Malfoy and his lackeys, oh look that must be Hagrid and Dumbledore). The writing is horribly derivative and poorly edited, the plot is telegraphed so blatantly that you expect to see semaphore flags on the pages, the characters are all supposedly adults who act like hormone crazed high school children.
I tried to hang on to the end to see if I read the semaphore flags correctly but frankly it's not worth the effort, there are better books to listen to and better ways to spend my time.
Lies it but....
I really enjoyed it but it is essentially a more mature Harry Potter. The warning points at the end is what threw me into the Harry Potter wannabe. It wasn't needed.
I really enjoyed it but it is essentially a more mature Harry Potter. The warning points at the end is what threw me into the Harry Potter wannabe. It wasn't needed.