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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
The first book was so strong and this was a disappointing end to the series. Clowns are creepy for sure but the end was unsatisfying and over too quickly. I’m being generous with 3 stars.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Ultimul volum din cvartetul semnat de Katherine Arden, Empty Smiles, mi-a plăcut cel mai puțin. De data aceasta, protagoniștii nimeresc la un bâlci, unde trebuie să dezlege o ghicitoare care ar putea să-i reunească și să salveze și lumea pe care o iubesc așa mult. Din păcate, multe lucruri mi s-au părut grăbite, deși ideea era foarte faină, scenele s-au perindat cu rapiditate acolo unde mi-ar fi plăcut ca autoarea să insiste, iar finalul nu a fost satisfăcător. Probabil că felul în care s-a terminat cvartetul e mai mult decât potrivit pentru publicul țintă, e totuși o serie middle grade, cert este că-mi place cum scrie Arden și clar voi citi și ultima ei carte apărută.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first 75% of this book had some of the strongest parts of this series but the ending felt a bit rushed. What felt like it was supposed to be a big moment ended up being wrapped up quickly and easily compared to the higher stakes that I felt while reading the first part of the book (and has been building throughout the series). I did ultimately like how everything wrapped up and found it mostly satisfying but I just didn't love how quickly it all happened.
The carnival/clowns/dolls were all super creepy and once again I love the Smiling Man as a villain. His dynamic with Ollie continued to be compelling but again wrapped too quickly so I wanted just a bit more. I think if this book had like 50 more pages it could've been a 5 star and rivaled Dead Voices as my favorite installment.
Somewhat rushed ending aside...this is a great middle grade horror series that I absolutely recommend.
The carnival/clowns/dolls were all super creepy and once again I love the Smiling Man as a villain. His dynamic with Ollie continued to be compelling but again wrapped too quickly so I wanted just a bit more. I think if this book had like 50 more pages it could've been a 5 star and rivaled Dead Voices as my favorite installment.
Somewhat rushed ending aside...this is a great middle grade horror series that I absolutely recommend.
You can read my full review at Forever Young Adult.
It was a great wrap-up to a wonderful series; perfect spooky vibes and some truly creepy-ass clowns. The ending was...satisfying, but a bit abrupt. I didn't realize the last 40-odd pages of theh ebook were basically excerpts from the first few books, so I thought I had farther to go until suddenly it was over, and I was taken aback. (I thought it was some more smiling man trickery making them think they won but gotcha!)
All book long there was excellent build-up, so with the conclusion being as simple as it was, I was surprised, especially as the wrap-up of 4 books spanning a year of them being harassed by the smiling man. I didn't DISLIKE it, but I think even if I was a younger teen reading this I would've wanted a more epic finish.
Still, in general, most series are not about only their endings but the journey along the way, and this series had some expertly done scene setting, adorably three-dimensional characters, wonderful friendships, and plenty of creepy moments for the burgeoning horror fan.
If some streaming platform is looking for its next YA hit I feel like these books are ripe with promise.
It was a great wrap-up to a wonderful series; perfect spooky vibes and some truly creepy-ass clowns. The ending was...satisfying, but a bit abrupt. I didn't realize the last 40-odd pages of theh ebook were basically excerpts from the first few books, so I thought I had farther to go until suddenly it was over, and I was taken aback. (I thought it was some more smiling man trickery making them think they won but gotcha!)
All book long there was excellent build-up, so with the conclusion being as simple as it was, I was surprised, especially as the wrap-up of 4 books spanning a year of them being harassed by the smiling man. I didn't DISLIKE it, but I think even if I was a younger teen reading this I would've wanted a more epic finish.
Still, in general, most series are not about only their endings but the journey along the way, and this series had some expertly done scene setting, adorably three-dimensional characters, wonderful friendships, and plenty of creepy moments for the burgeoning horror fan.
If some streaming platform is looking for its next YA hit I feel like these books are ripe with promise.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No