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pineconebiscuit's review against another edition
5.0
So intriguing and fast paced. Loved all the characters and the role they played in the story! Elaton of course my fave 💜
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
This book has been on my shelves for quite some time already and it were the negative reviews that kept me from picking it up. But hey, I'm a grown up girl. I can decide for myself if I like something or not. And I totally loved Splintered and I've always been fascinated by the Phantom. I just wanted to read this and see what I'd think.
And although I can understand why this is absolutely not everyone's cup of tea, I ended up loving this take on the famous tale and myth of the Phantom of the Opera. This story captures the atmosphere of the original story: A little bit of horror and thriller, a little bit of drama and a little bit of love, but it becomes its very own story, with its very own characters in the centre of attention, with its very own plot that also somehow feels familiar.
Howard's writing style isn't always easy to read, but it's very beautiful. It's flowery and poetic, but therefore the sentences and words start singing in my bones. And even though it takes me much longer than usually to make it through her books, I enjoy the ride so much. Howard sucks me into the story, makes me feel it, makes me connect with the characters, makes me part of it.
And I personally think that the supernatural element of this story truly fits the character of the Phantom. Just like I think Howard has managed to do him justice. We see his intelligence, his caring and loving side, his human side. But we're also confronted with his trickery, his anger and longing for justice and vengeance, his strong will going after what he wants, despite the costs and consequences. It's a thin line, but I hated and loved Howard's Phantom equally. And I personally think that's how it's supposed to be.
The story is just like Splintered: Dark, twisted and little mad. It's challenging the imagination of the reader. And yet, when you give in and just allow the story to consume you, you won't be disappointed.
And although I can understand why this is absolutely not everyone's cup of tea, I ended up loving this take on the famous tale and myth of the Phantom of the Opera. This story captures the atmosphere of the original story: A little bit of horror and thriller, a little bit of drama and a little bit of love, but it becomes its very own story, with its very own characters in the centre of attention, with its very own plot that also somehow feels familiar.
Howard's writing style isn't always easy to read, but it's very beautiful. It's flowery and poetic, but therefore the sentences and words start singing in my bones. And even though it takes me much longer than usually to make it through her books, I enjoy the ride so much. Howard sucks me into the story, makes me feel it, makes me connect with the characters, makes me part of it.
And I personally think that the supernatural element of this story truly fits the character of the Phantom. Just like I think Howard has managed to do him justice. We see his intelligence, his caring and loving side, his human side. But we're also confronted with his trickery, his anger and longing for justice and vengeance, his strong will going after what he wants, despite the costs and consequences. It's a thin line, but I hated and loved Howard's Phantom equally. And I personally think that's how it's supposed to be.
The story is just like Splintered: Dark, twisted and little mad. It's challenging the imagination of the reader. And yet, when you give in and just allow the story to consume you, you won't be disappointed.
mreadz's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 rating
I honestly thought that I would enjoy this more than I did, but I didn’t. I had to push myself through this book to finish, which usually doesn’t happen with me. I thought it would be more of a “The Phantom of the Opera” retelling, but it honestly was not.
In all honesty, if you do decide to read it, borrow it from your local library!
I honestly thought that I would enjoy this more than I did, but I didn’t. I had to push myself through this book to finish, which usually doesn’t happen with me. I thought it would be more of a “The Phantom of the Opera” retelling, but it honestly was not.
In all honesty, if you do decide to read it, borrow it from your local library!
sdloomer's review against another edition
DNF @ 14%
--can I give this less than one star?--
I. Just. Can't. Anymore.
Let's make this a little more clear: I started this book once upon a naive time on Friday, March 3, 2017, and it is now April 25, 2017--more than a month and a half ago. To all of us readers who typically fly through books in mere days, this read time is a freaking lifetime. And then some.
Now, let's look at that completion progress. Fourteen percent. 14%. FOURTEEN MOTHERFUCKING PERCENT. I didn't even get to a quarter of the book. I didn't even get to the meat of the story. I didn't even get to the climax of the plot.
I'll tell you why. But let's start with basics first. At least, from what I could wrap my poor little head around in the less than 60 pages it suffered through.
The Plot: Special cupcake Rune Germain (don't even get me started on this poor excuse for a MC name. Really? Something like fucking Aphrodite would have been loads more interesting than that) has a problem. Like a hear-an-opera-song-once-and-than-must-vocally-copy-and-perfect-it-before-the-anxiety-blows-her-brains-out problem. O-kay....? I can get behind that, how'd she end up with this...medical (?) issue? Sorry! That's a key plot point that will be revealed later! Okay sure, I get that too, but what about the help Rune's gotten to try and relieve her? Ehhh, she and her parents decided they wouldn't tell anyone and just kind of fibbed about it her whole life. Don't worry though, this creepy new ghost boy at her new school will totally help her out though. In a weird and abusive way. Interested? Actually, no. And because I've already been spoiled about what her "condition" is, I will only bother to say that it's really, really, really cliche and uninspiring. And also disgusting and has a gross factor of bison shit. Aw well, at least we tried to be original and different!
The characters: All I could garner from Rune's first interactions with her mother in the limo to her new Parisian school for the first 30 FUCKING PAGES is that she's a spoiled, rich, white girl. With so many first world problems I almost quit after chapter one. Like, stop complaining to your mother because you're going to an elite music school in Paris, for crying out loud, and show some respect and humility. In other words: grow the fuck up.
I didn't stick around to find out Thorn's characterization or if he even got that much, because his first chapter mainly focused on the red swan he keeps as a pet. No, really. Also, I know what you are.
Sorry, wrong book.
THE GODFORSAKEN WRITING: How is it possible for the writing style and plot to be this atrocious? I usually don't rant about this too often in my reviews (exception: my New Moon review) but this was just so damnable to my reading experience that I literally just could not anymore. Call me petty or picky or a hater, but I don't understand how this even got published.
I'll try to put this into perspective:
From a more technical point of view, I felt like I was reading bad fanfiction off of tumblr. Sentence structures were all wonky and the descriptions read more like amateur writing at best:
Also, if you do not know anything about music, please do some research before writing a whole book that is supposedly based on it. Look, I'm not trying to say I'm an expert on music or know everything about it, but I come from a background of about 20 years of playing the piano and clarinet and performing in various orchestras and bands, so I think I'm okay to say I have more than the average person's experience. But I felt so disjointed and disconnected from this "music" I was reading about that I wasn't sure this book was less about music and more of an excuse to write a "tragic" love story (which it isn't) that has music scattered about for more interesting-ness.
An example: I know which Prokofiev opera the aria from the first few chapters is from, and I know which musical time period it was written in. However, in the book it is described as "beautiful and tragic...with a ghostly wail" and though the scene in the opera is pathetic (in the traditional sense of the word), it is supposed to be incredibly passionate, booming, and filled with intensity. Not like something out of Les Mis--full of whispers and delicacy. The Fiery Angel opera was written during the late 19th-20th century Russian period for Christ's sake! The time of greats like Stravinsky with his glorious Firebird ballet, Shostakovich, and Tchaikovsky! This time was when music was being pushed to its absolute limits and radical changes were being made to opera and ballet and orchestral content. At no one point during this period was anything "ghostly".
I've rambled on for far too long and am far too tired to continue, and I haven't even gotten to the absolute insult this is to Leroux's famous novel. I'm sure you all know by now: this doesn't even come close. Sure I can get that the story was inspired by the events of the classic book, but to completely rip off elements of it (like the actual character of Erik?) is no bueno in my opinion.
Anyway, read [b:Wintersong|24763621|Wintersong (Wintersong, #1)|S. Jae-Jones|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479206906s/24763621.jpg|44394042] by S. Jae-Jones if you want a truly musical book, and I would advise anyone who has a brain to completely skip this. It's a waste of your time.
--can I give this less than one star?--
I. Just. Can't. Anymore.
Let's make this a little more clear: I started this book once upon a naive time on Friday, March 3, 2017, and it is now April 25, 2017--more than a month and a half ago. To all of us readers who typically fly through books in mere days, this read time is a freaking lifetime. And then some.
Now, let's look at that completion progress. Fourteen percent. 14%. FOURTEEN MOTHERFUCKING PERCENT. I didn't even get to a quarter of the book. I didn't even get to the meat of the story. I didn't even get to the climax of the plot.
I'll tell you why. But let's start with basics first. At least, from what I could wrap my poor little head around in the less than 60 pages it suffered through.
The Plot: Special cupcake Rune Germain (don't even get me started on this poor excuse for a MC name. Really? Something like fucking Aphrodite would have been loads more interesting than that) has a problem. Like a hear-an-opera-song-once-and-than-must-vocally-copy-and-perfect-it-before-the-anxiety-blows-her-brains-out problem. O-kay....? I can get behind that, how'd she end up with this...medical (?) issue? Sorry! That's a key plot point that will be revealed later! Okay sure, I get that too, but what about the help Rune's gotten to try and relieve her? Ehhh, she and her parents decided they wouldn't tell anyone and just kind of fibbed about it her whole life. Don't worry though, this creepy new ghost boy at her new school will totally help her out though. In a weird and abusive way. Interested? Actually, no. And because I've already been spoiled about what her "condition" is, I will only bother to say that it's really, really, really cliche and uninspiring. And also disgusting and has a gross factor of bison shit. Aw well, at least we tried to be original and different!
The characters: All I could garner from Rune's first interactions with her mother in the limo to her new Parisian school for the first 30 FUCKING PAGES is that she's a spoiled, rich, white girl. With so many first world problems I almost quit after chapter one. Like, stop complaining to your mother because you're going to an elite music school in Paris, for crying out loud, and show some respect and humility. In other words: grow the fuck up.
I didn't stick around to find out Thorn's characterization or if he even got that much, because his first chapter mainly focused on the red swan he keeps as a pet. No, really. Also, I know what you are.
Sorry, wrong book.
THE GODFORSAKEN WRITING: How is it possible for the writing style and plot to be this atrocious? I usually don't rant about this too often in my reviews (exception: my New Moon review) but this was just so damnable to my reading experience that I literally just could not anymore. Call me petty or picky or a hater, but I don't understand how this even got published.
I'll try to put this into perspective:
The problem is that as I've grown, [the gift has] become more demanding...an entity that controls me. Once a song speaks to my subconscious, the notes become a toxin I have to release through my diaphragm, my vocal cords, my tongue.Like, what? That's the best you could come up with as an "illness" and remedy? Look, a book can be focused on both music and a medical malady without having to mash them together into...whatever this is. Besides, this is a poor execution of describing a life with chronic illness anyway.
From a more technical point of view, I felt like I was reading bad fanfiction off of tumblr. Sentence structures were all wonky and the descriptions read more like amateur writing at best:
She was haloed by an aura that fluctuated between white and gray...purity and melancholy. She was unsettled at being here. Lost, even. [...] There was depth beneath this new arrival's veneer...the essence of light and life in its most raw: the energy of rhapsody. Music pulsed inside her blood--uncultivated and untamed. [...] Something something shit about chakra.This book takes itself so seriously, it's laughable--plus, you can just tell it's trying way too hard. Just fucking tell me he's curious and enticed by her. No need to fill up an entire paragraph by beating around the bush and dressing it up with fancy words and unnecessary metaphors. Show not tell, please, for the love of god.
Also, if you do not know anything about music, please do some research before writing a whole book that is supposedly based on it. Look, I'm not trying to say I'm an expert on music or know everything about it, but I come from a background of about 20 years of playing the piano and clarinet and performing in various orchestras and bands, so I think I'm okay to say I have more than the average person's experience. But I felt so disjointed and disconnected from this "music" I was reading about that I wasn't sure this book was less about music and more of an excuse to write a "tragic" love story (which it isn't) that has music scattered about for more interesting-ness.
An example: I know which Prokofiev opera the aria from the first few chapters is from, and I know which musical time period it was written in. However, in the book it is described as "beautiful and tragic...with a ghostly wail" and though the scene in the opera is pathetic (in the traditional sense of the word), it is supposed to be incredibly passionate, booming, and filled with intensity. Not like something out of Les Mis--full of whispers and delicacy. The Fiery Angel opera was written during the late 19th-20th century Russian period for Christ's sake! The time of greats like Stravinsky with his glorious Firebird ballet, Shostakovich, and Tchaikovsky! This time was when music was being pushed to its absolute limits and radical changes were being made to opera and ballet and orchestral content. At no one point during this period was anything "ghostly".
I've rambled on for far too long and am far too tired to continue, and I haven't even gotten to the absolute insult this is to Leroux's famous novel. I'm sure you all know by now: this doesn't even come close. Sure I can get that the story was inspired by the events of the classic book, but to completely rip off elements of it (like the actual character of Erik?) is no bueno in my opinion.
Anyway, read [b:Wintersong|24763621|Wintersong (Wintersong, #1)|S. Jae-Jones|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479206906s/24763621.jpg|44394042] by S. Jae-Jones if you want a truly musical book, and I would advise anyone who has a brain to completely skip this. It's a waste of your time.
kissmycass's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
laurenslovelylittlelife's review against another edition
I think I need a more adult retelling of The Phantom of the Opera. This version was good from what I remember but just not something I want to continue at this time.
nhdk's review against another edition
3.0
A.G. Howard was a new author to me; I haven’t read her Splintered series, but I’d heard good things about RoseBlood, so I was hoping for a good book, and I got it. RoseBlood was a cracking read. Howard has a beautiful voice and is reminiscent of Lauren Oliver. If you liked her Delirium series, I suspect you would like RoseBlood too. Howard's voice is dominated by her beautiful and detailed descriptions that are perhaps a little heavy for what I am used to in YA fantasy, and remind me a little more of an older school fantasy style, but I am seeing more and more YA fantasy authors writing in a heavy descriptive style.
Nonetheless, I adored her style of writing, which were particularly suited to describing the synaesthesic-like powers the characters have. Her style creates rich images in my mind, and that very quickly drew me into the story. I adored the characters powers and the concept of drawing energy from different living beings. That’s not a power I’ve seen done before, so it felt fresh and novel.
The characterisation was good. I was a little confused about the twins in the book especially early on. I don’t think there was enough clarity on their relationship and at one point I almost thought the siblings had incestuous feelings. Clearly, I’d misunderstood, but it’s something to note.
The other thing that confused me initially was that the book is written from two different Points of View. When in chapters written from the protagonists POV, it’s written in the first person. When from the love interests POV it’s written in the third person. At first, I struggled with the swapping about, but after a few chapter swaps I soon got used to it and found it very easy to jump between the two. Perhaps my only real criticism is that when writing in the third person, I did find myself occasionally confused between who things referred to: Thorn or Erik.
I liked all the characters; I think they were unique and individualised and with the exception of the twins, I remembered them all and quickly distinguished them all. I also liked the complexity, depth and rich detail to the history of the antagonist; this was quite exceptional.
For me, the end didn’t quite live up to the rest of the book. I’m trying not to add any spoilers here, but while I loved how it ended between the two main characters, the third main character kinda just rolled over and played dead and after 460 odd pages of doing the exact opposite I was surprised, to say the least. I might well read the follow ups to this book if there are any as I’d like to see whether there are some consequences to the rollover and play dead reaction of this particular character.
Nonetheless, I adored her style of writing, which were particularly suited to describing the synaesthesic-like powers the characters have. Her style creates rich images in my mind, and that very quickly drew me into the story. I adored the characters powers and the concept of drawing energy from different living beings. That’s not a power I’ve seen done before, so it felt fresh and novel.
The characterisation was good. I was a little confused about the twins in the book especially early on. I don’t think there was enough clarity on their relationship and at one point I almost thought the siblings had incestuous feelings. Clearly, I’d misunderstood, but it’s something to note.
The other thing that confused me initially was that the book is written from two different Points of View. When in chapters written from the protagonists POV, it’s written in the first person. When from the love interests POV it’s written in the third person. At first, I struggled with the swapping about, but after a few chapter swaps I soon got used to it and found it very easy to jump between the two. Perhaps my only real criticism is that when writing in the third person, I did find myself occasionally confused between who things referred to: Thorn or Erik.
I liked all the characters; I think they were unique and individualised and with the exception of the twins, I remembered them all and quickly distinguished them all. I also liked the complexity, depth and rich detail to the history of the antagonist; this was quite exceptional.
For me, the end didn’t quite live up to the rest of the book. I’m trying not to add any spoilers here, but while I loved how it ended between the two main characters, the third main character kinda just rolled over and played dead and after 460 odd pages of doing the exact opposite I was surprised, to say the least. I might well read the follow ups to this book if there are any as I’d like to see whether there are some consequences to the rollover and play dead reaction of this particular character.
hbelle01's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
abeckman02's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0