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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Hi. Preston ❤️
He's worth the 4 stars.
Not the typical dark academic book I normally read and love but it surprised me in a good way. Honestly really liked this one
He's worth the 4 stars.
Not the typical dark academic book I normally read and love but it surprised me in a good way. Honestly really liked this one
Au début du roman je trouvais l’histoire et l’intrigue mystérieuses mais à la fois pas si intéressant, je m’explique : pour moi deux étudiants qui se retrouvent à faire équipe dans le manoir d’un auteur décédé pour découvrir si oui ou non il a bien écrit ses œuvres n’est pas si intéressant que ça. Pendant une bonne partie du roman je trouve que c’est assez lent et surtout on manque de contexte, je voulais en apprendre plus sur l’univers en lui même.
Mais à l’heure où j’écris cette chronique ça fait 5h que je l’ai terminé et à y réfléchir c’était quand même une bonne lecture. J’ai aimé voir la relation entre Effy et Preston évoluer, c’est même ce que j’ai préféré car je trouve qu’ils ont du potentiel. La deuxième moitié du livre est plus prenante et c’est la que j’ai commencé à apprécier ma lecture.
Dans l’ensemble c’était sympa, pas la lecture du siècle (les remarques misogynes de certains persos m’ont refroidies) et je trouve que l’univers aurait pu être plus développé et exploité. J’étais un peu dans le flou par rapport à tout ça et quelques explications/développements auraient permis de mieux apprendre à connaître Effy (et Preston).
Par contre je ne vois pas trop ce qui peut être dit dans un tome 2 alors à voir si je le lis…
Mais à l’heure où j’écris cette chronique ça fait 5h que je l’ai terminé et à y réfléchir c’était quand même une bonne lecture. J’ai aimé voir la relation entre Effy et Preston évoluer, c’est même ce que j’ai préféré car je trouve qu’ils ont du potentiel. La deuxième moitié du livre est plus prenante et c’est la que j’ai commencé à apprécier ma lecture.
Dans l’ensemble c’était sympa, pas la lecture du siècle (les remarques misogynes de certains persos m’ont refroidies) et je trouve que l’univers aurait pu être plus développé et exploité. J’étais un peu dans le flou par rapport à tout ça et quelques explications/développements auraient permis de mieux apprendre à connaître Effy (et Preston).
Par contre je ne vois pas trop ce qui peut être dit dans un tome 2 alors à voir si je le lis…
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would have liked to have more of this book. It feels like bits and pieces of it were removed—not enough to ruin the story, but enough to feel like there's some connective tissue missing.
Or perhaps I shouldn't have mostly been reading this book around midnight. Forgetting bits of what's happened due to being tired would explain that feeling 😅
Or perhaps I shouldn't have mostly been reading this book around midnight. Forgetting bits of what's happened due to being tired would explain that feeling 😅
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent
Minor: War
This book deserves to be my first review due to how it SAVED me from a bad book slump
Could not recommend this book more, it touches upon the rarely well executed combination of academia, mystery, and romance; all while balancing the undertones of horror and character development. For once I found a relatable protagonist in Effy, even if it did come with moments of frustration due to how relatable she truly was! Without giving too much away, her character broke the mold of your classic female protagonist that suddenly changes in an instant, all to fulfill the cliche "badass" moment. She shows there are many different forms of strength aside from physical or threatening means. I cannot express how much I came to love and appreciate her character.
The final part that sealed the deal as a rare 5 star read...was the romance...OH MY GOD THE ROMANCE
I want to rant on and on, but let me just say, Preston will ruin every other male lead for you! So precede with caution reading this book if you wanna upkeep the status quo of mediocre book men.
Could not recommend this book more, it touches upon the rarely well executed combination of academia, mystery, and romance; all while balancing the undertones of horror and character development. For once I found a relatable protagonist in Effy, even if it did come with moments of frustration due to how relatable she truly was! Without giving too much away, her character broke the mold of your classic female protagonist that suddenly changes in an instant, all to fulfill the cliche "badass" moment. She shows there are many different forms of strength aside from physical or threatening means. I cannot express how much I came to love and appreciate her character.
The final part that sealed the deal as a rare 5 star read...was the romance...OH MY GOD THE ROMANCE
I want to rant on and on, but let me just say, Preston will ruin every other male lead for you! So precede with caution reading this book if you wanna upkeep the status quo of mediocre book men.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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:
Yes
Beautifully told story, our only enemy is indeed the sea
“You took away all other wanting from me.”
Ohhhhh you could have stabbed me and I’d have had less of a reaction.
Ohhhhh you could have stabbed me and I’d have had less of a reaction.
I had an enjoyable time reading this novel! It had been on my tbr for ages and I’m glad I got to finally pick it up.
Let’s start with the characters. I adored Effy. She was honestly such a perfect main character. Not in that she was perfect herself, but that her flaws and vulnerabilities made her so relatable and realistic. I truly saw myself in her and the way she was written by Reid was just amazing. She was so human and real and raw and I loved every part of her. Her growth throughout the book was also incredible to see. She went from meal and timid to strong and able to voice her opinion. She fought, and was continuing to so, for what she believed in and what was fair. She was characterised so well by the author and it felt like you formed a friendship with Effy. You knew her so intimately and got to delve into her exact thoughts and feelings of what she was experiencing. Those are the best kinds of characters I believe. I loved how you never quite knew if what she believed was happening, was actually real. And that just speaks to the way the author built her character and played with the line between fantasy and reality. Preston was another great character. We didn’t see as much of him as we did Effy, but through their connection we got to understand him as a person. He was also vulnerable and realistic and through a common understanding of their experiences, a beautiful bond was formed between them. He grew significantly throughout the novel as well, from an arrogant, critical male to one who could admit when he was wrong and supported Effy with her endeavours. He may not have believed what Effy saw or knew, but he at least listened and supported her. He empowered her to be strong and to always fight for what’s right. He provided Effy with a strong backbone to lean on when she needed it. He was amazing.
Reid knows how to write a good story. She captures the interest of the reader through the fantastical elements of the plot and keeps them hooked through her amazing characterisation. She writes so beautifully and whimsically, and I really came to like the way she writes. She also builds up tension not only between the characters, but in the story itself. I had guessed what was going to happen, but it didn’t bother me because we were given so much more from the author that surprised you. It was a really unique story and I loved the way Reid engaged the readers in the story. The only thing I found that let me down slightly was that some bits were incredibly slow and honestly sometimes boring. It wasn’t until halfway that I was really engaged and interested, and felt the author could have done a little more to make it more interesting in the beginning. There just needed to be something early on to get the reader’s attention. This would engage readers more and allow for a better overall reading experience.
Overall, this book is one I did end up enjoying, but will warn everyone who read it to be open-minded and understand that it’s set at a slower pace than most fantasy books.
Let’s start with the characters. I adored Effy. She was honestly such a perfect main character. Not in that she was perfect herself, but that her flaws and vulnerabilities made her so relatable and realistic. I truly saw myself in her and the way she was written by Reid was just amazing. She was so human and real and raw and I loved every part of her. Her growth throughout the book was also incredible to see. She went from meal and timid to strong and able to voice her opinion. She fought, and was continuing to so, for what she believed in and what was fair. She was characterised so well by the author and it felt like you formed a friendship with Effy. You knew her so intimately and got to delve into her exact thoughts and feelings of what she was experiencing. Those are the best kinds of characters I believe. I loved how you never quite knew if what she believed was happening, was actually real. And that just speaks to the way the author built her character and played with the line between fantasy and reality. Preston was another great character. We didn’t see as much of him as we did Effy, but through their connection we got to understand him as a person. He was also vulnerable and realistic and through a common understanding of their experiences, a beautiful bond was formed between them. He grew significantly throughout the novel as well, from an arrogant, critical male to one who could admit when he was wrong and supported Effy with her endeavours. He may not have believed what Effy saw or knew, but he at least listened and supported her. He empowered her to be strong and to always fight for what’s right. He provided Effy with a strong backbone to lean on when she needed it. He was amazing.
Reid knows how to write a good story. She captures the interest of the reader through the fantastical elements of the plot and keeps them hooked through her amazing characterisation. She writes so beautifully and whimsically, and I really came to like the way she writes. She also builds up tension not only between the characters, but in the story itself. I had guessed what was going to happen, but it didn’t bother me because we were given so much more from the author that surprised you. It was a really unique story and I loved the way Reid engaged the readers in the story. The only thing I found that let me down slightly was that some bits were incredibly slow and honestly sometimes boring. It wasn’t until halfway that I was really engaged and interested, and felt the author could have done a little more to make it more interesting in the beginning. There just needed to be something early on to get the reader’s attention. This would engage readers more and allow for a better overall reading experience.
Overall, this book is one I did end up enjoying, but will warn everyone who read it to be open-minded and understand that it’s set at a slower pace than most fantasy books.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated