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sassafrasscommon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
Man, I DEVOURED this book. I got it in the mail last night, read till 12:30 am, then went right back to it upon waking. I was absolutely hooked from the first chapter. The way the tension, mystery, and the blurring lines between reality and fantasy built up was delicious. The characters were lovable from the get go. Effy was insanely relatable and I loved seeing a character who was soft and uncertain, yet not remotely passive. Preston was simply adorable and I love how his partnership and eventual romance with Effy was incredibly natural. The only thing holding me back from a five star rating, which I'm still in debate over, is that the pacing of the later middle half is a bit slow and there are just some aspects of the story I would have liked to see developed a little more. The storytelling and world building was a bit simplistic and predictable, the climax was short lived, and the narrative was a bit heavy handed, but that's not necessarily a negative. If anything, I think the younger target audience might appreciate that more, especially with such heavy subject matter. Regardless of those details, I absolutely loved the story and it is one of my favorites of the year. The descriptions of nature and the oceanside setting made me yearn for a dreary autumn. I haven't read a book so quickly and hungrily in months. I'm grateful to Ava Reid for this story. I think myself and many others needed it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and War
killeenm18's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment
kris386's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Dementia, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gun violence, Xenophobia, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Alcohol
ccouey's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence
lastblossom's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
An excellent mix of gothic and dark academia set in a world where the lines of reality are blurry, and the power of writing runs deep.
Thoughts
I was going through a reading dry spell when I grudgingly forced myself to start reading this book. And then I finished the entire thing in a day. The book starts at a slow pace, but it gets its hooks into you early with an uneasy sense of uncertainty with the world. There's magic in the world. Or maybe there isn't. Strange things haunt Effy at night. Or maybe they don't? All we really know is that Effy feels unwelcome, and finds solace only in her worn copy of the novel Angharad. It's no wonder that she leaps at the chance to redesign the author's house, even if the invitation seems utterly suspect. And things get even more suspect when she arrives. The house is a character unto itself, a proper gothic crumbling mansion with locked rooms and nature creeping in and out of cracks in the ceiling. It's here that the story really closes in, as reality begins to blur even more, and the mystery surrounding the house and the novel take center stage. Literature student Preston provides a good partner in both the study and romantic sense, with a softer slow-paced romance that takes a back seat to the rest of the plot. The ending is expected, but satisfying, and I found the discussion on what it means to read or write a book to be incredibly touching.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
An excellent mix of gothic and dark academia set in a world where the lines of reality are blurry, and the power of writing runs deep.
Thoughts
I was going through a reading dry spell when I grudgingly forced myself to start reading this book. And then I finished the entire thing in a day. The book starts at a slow pace, but it gets its hooks into you early with an uneasy sense of uncertainty with the world. There's magic in the world. Or maybe there isn't. Strange things haunt Effy at night. Or maybe they don't? All we really know is that Effy feels unwelcome, and finds solace only in her worn copy of the novel Angharad. It's no wonder that she leaps at the chance to redesign the author's house, even if the invitation seems utterly suspect. And things get even more suspect when she arrives. The house is a character unto itself, a proper gothic crumbling mansion with locked rooms and nature creeping in and out of cracks in the ceiling. It's here that the story really closes in, as reality begins to blur even more, and the mystery surrounding the house and the novel take center stage. Literature student Preston provides a good partner in both the study and romantic sense, with a softer slow-paced romance that takes a back seat to the rest of the plot. The ending is expected, but satisfying, and I found the discussion on what it means to read or write a book to be incredibly touching.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol