Scan barcode
dihades's review
adventurous
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
5.0
stiino19's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.0
I really liked it
haven_woodrose's review
4.0
In some ways I’m surprised that this is a debut novel, because the characters are so well-crafted and I loved all of their dynamics with one another, but in other ways I can understand how this is the first book Monet has written; in the first couple of chapters, the style feels a bit stiff and formal, but the further you go into the book the more it relaxes. It feels like Monet finds a more natural “voice” about 1/4th of the way through, and from there everything is smooth sailing.
But the characters! The characters. The blurb describes this book as “the no-love-interest, found family adventure you’ve been searching for” which is a bold claim but ended up being entirely correct. I hadn’t thought I’d been searching for that exact thing, but Monet proved me wrong. All of the Guardians are so vibrant and quirky, and so inclusive — Blythe is Black and bisexual, Caspian is trans, Daniel has an anxiety disorder, Antonio is Latino, and the list just goes on. Their “babysitter,” a young woman named Katia, is grouchy and rude and participates in a kidnapping over breakfast, but is still likeable because yeah, she’s a bitch, but she isn’t a bigot. (My favorite character was definitely Cordelia, but this is supposed to be a serious book review as opposed to just me gushing about a new favorite read).
All of the Guardians have a great, complex dynamic with one another that changes over time. They aren’t instantly best friends, nor do they even instantly get along, and they keep secrets, make bargains, and occasionally even lie to each other. Ultimately, however, they are definitely a found family, and they keep each other going through even the darkest trials. It’s very wholesome, but it’s wholesomeness with so much tension because the stakes are so high. All of the Guardians are minors, but the danger they were facing felt so real and I was genuinely scared for them.
One of those dangers is the Erasers, who “erase” magic-users out of existence if they reveal the secret of magic existing to non-magical people. The Erasers have been pursuing Blythe and her family for as long as she can remember, and it’s a big mystery as to why they’re doing so until the very end of the book. My opinion is that the mystery of the Erasers was drawn out for too long, because their terrifying mystique had become hokey and annoying by the time everything was explained about their motives for what they did. Nevertheless, I’m really intrigued by them, and I’m really curious about what role the Erasers will play in the next installment of this series.
But the characters! The characters. The blurb describes this book as “the no-love-interest, found family adventure you’ve been searching for” which is a bold claim but ended up being entirely correct. I hadn’t thought I’d been searching for that exact thing, but Monet proved me wrong. All of the Guardians are so vibrant and quirky, and so inclusive — Blythe is Black and bisexual, Caspian is trans, Daniel has an anxiety disorder, Antonio is Latino, and the list just goes on. Their “babysitter,” a young woman named Katia, is grouchy and rude and participates in a kidnapping over breakfast, but is still likeable because yeah, she’s a bitch, but she isn’t a bigot. (My favorite character was definitely Cordelia, but this is supposed to be a serious book review as opposed to just me gushing about a new favorite read).
All of the Guardians have a great, complex dynamic with one another that changes over time. They aren’t instantly best friends, nor do they even instantly get along, and they keep secrets, make bargains, and occasionally even lie to each other. Ultimately, however, they are definitely a found family, and they keep each other going through even the darkest trials. It’s very wholesome, but it’s wholesomeness with so much tension because the stakes are so high. All of the Guardians are minors, but the danger they were facing felt so real and I was genuinely scared for them.
One of those dangers is the Erasers, who “erase” magic-users out of existence if they reveal the secret of magic existing to non-magical people. The Erasers have been pursuing Blythe and her family for as long as she can remember, and it’s a big mystery as to why they’re doing so until the very end of the book. My opinion is that the mystery of the Erasers was drawn out for too long, because their terrifying mystique had become hokey and annoying by the time everything was explained about their motives for what they did. Nevertheless, I’m really intrigued by them, and I’m really curious about what role the Erasers will play in the next installment of this series.
booksthatslay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
callixton's review
4.0
4.5. i love these fuckin kids man!! looking forward to the rest of the series and other stories from this author
lewisb's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
loewinzahn's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
sammys_shelves's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
I thought the concept sounded fun and the cover looked really cool but this book has been an amazing read! The magic system is fascinating and despite the book being about a bunch of teenagers (and I am definitely NOT a teenager) I did not find it difficult or annoying to read (which I often do, especially when the book mentions specific modern references, I once DNFed a book for it's early mention of a Fae playing candy crush 🫣) I'm actually found the opposite, I'm found the modern references relatable and fun.
I cannot get over how good this book was! I completely fell in love with all the characters, which, by the way were refreshingly diverse.
Blythe was at times selfish and a little annoying but was strong, a natural disaster and had great growth throughout the book.
Cordelia was a hard ass bitch with a hidden heart of gold.
Daniel was timid, shielded and naive but surprisingly brave, incredibly smart and fiercely loyal.
Antonio, the "soft boy" (total positive attribute btw) was just the sweetest little thing that you just constantly wanted to hug.
Storm was hard and isolated but secretly protective and sweet, especially with the quieter members of the team
Caspian was the total oddball who's humour really appealed to me.
And Jays flirty, charming nature and spicy humour had me giggling more often than I could count. I loved how diverse these characters were and how they broke so many stereotypes.
Ashias writing and natural flowing banter made this found family, coming of age type story an absolute joy to read, the teens were realistic and relatable and very much reminded me of my old social group and how different we all were and how our personalities all bounced off each others.
There was a really strong concept there too which was excellently executed. It felt quite different to anything I've read recently and I truly thrived off it! I honestly cannot wait to read the next installment!
I'd also like to say that Ashia gave very specific and detailed content warnings at the beginning, which I thought was a fantastic addition. I'm thankful that I'm not easily triggered by anything but I see the value in having very specific content warnings like this in a book. Fantastic 😊
I cannot get over how good this book was! I completely fell in love with all the characters, which, by the way were refreshingly diverse.
Blythe was at times selfish and a little annoying but was strong, a natural disaster and had great growth throughout the book.
Cordelia was a hard ass bitch with a hidden heart of gold.
Daniel was timid, shielded and naive but surprisingly brave, incredibly smart and fiercely loyal.
Antonio, the "soft boy" (total positive attribute btw) was just the sweetest little thing that you just constantly wanted to hug.
Storm was hard and isolated but secretly protective and sweet, especially with the quieter members of the team
Caspian was the total oddball who's humour really appealed to me.
And Jays flirty, charming nature and spicy humour had me giggling more often than I could count. I loved how diverse these characters were and how they broke so many stereotypes.
Ashias writing and natural flowing banter made this found family, coming of age type story an absolute joy to read, the teens were realistic and relatable and very much reminded me of my old social group and how different we all were and how our personalities all bounced off each others.
There was a really strong concept there too which was excellently executed. It felt quite different to anything I've read recently and I truly thrived off it! I honestly cannot wait to read the next installment!
I'd also like to say that Ashia gave very specific and detailed content warnings at the beginning, which I thought was a fantastic addition. I'm thankful that I'm not easily triggered by anything but I see the value in having very specific content warnings like this in a book. Fantastic 😊