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prezzypug2's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
kittyhearted's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
tatyanavogt's review
3.0
Okay, so I enjoyed this book quite a bit EXCEPT the beginning was just FILLED with way too much information. The first two pages gave us FIVE full names with 3 mini backstories. Not to count all the random character names and location names and random history that we continued to get. The first 10+ chapters were overwhelming and not in a good way. I also wasn't on board with the plot with the information provided. I kept asking myself but why them?
Regardless, I did like the general writing, the friendship, and banter and was interested to see what happened. I also ordered the second book in the series and hope to re-read this one again in the future to pick up on all the stuff I missed from information overload. A lot was going on.
Regardless, I did like the general writing, the friendship, and banter and was interested to see what happened. I also ordered the second book in the series and hope to re-read this one again in the future to pick up on all the stuff I missed from information overload. A lot was going on.
gabalodon's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Fun witchy story with a lot of aspects that were really well done. The characters were super dynamic and individually well-developed and the vibes were on point and the audiobook reader did a great job (with only occasional odd intonations, but fantastic identifiable voices). I did feel like their relationships with each other were not adequately fleshed out, which took the emotional punch out of the moments when internal conflicts would flare up. Some moments would also have hit more effectively if some of the backstory had happened at the beginning (e.g., a prologue for each character) rather than after the event in questions (e.g., Iris and Logan's meeting). There were also some really convenient details/happenstances that I felt could have been better hinted at or planted in advance. But overall solid read.
ninisreadingfrenzy's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
mari1532's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
#TheDiverseBaseline (learn more at: https://thediversebaseline.carrd.co)
I listened to this book through my library on Libby.
Brief Summary: Logan is a witch...at least that is what she tells herself. She is hoping that by attending Mesmortes Coven Academy she will learn to better control her powers. What she doesn't expect is that the Red Three (Iris, Jailah, and Thalia) will quickly take her under their wing and show her the ropes.
Iris, a death witch, has designs on breaking the town curse and thinks that befriending Logan might be the key. However, Jailah, the school's most powerful witch, and Thalia, a nature witch, are not so sure that Logan will prove useful. As the girls integrate Logan into their group and work on breaking the town curse, they must also learn who they can trust before events turn deadly.
Thoughts: I realize how annoying it is to start a review by saying I wish a book was longer, but I wish this book was longer, but I am happy that there is a second book in the series. While I enjoyed this book it felt a bit rushed at certain points and wanted more of each character. That being said, Isabelle did an excellent job of weaving multiple main characters and a complex plot into a single book without making anything confusing.
I think that Iris was my favourite of the four main characters. I thought that the way that she was learning to navigate her powers as a death witch as they grew was interesting and I was immediately on board with nearly any plan that she suggested throughout the book. Although, I did find the growth between each of the girls and their friend group the most compelling part of the story.
Also, the mysterious aspect of the town curse added such an interesting layer to this book and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Isabelle is an excellent writer and I cannot wait to read more of their work.
I would highly recommend this book.
I listened to this book through my library on Libby.
Brief Summary: Logan is a witch...at least that is what she tells herself. She is hoping that by attending Mesmortes Coven Academy she will learn to better control her powers. What she doesn't expect is that the Red Three (Iris, Jailah, and Thalia) will quickly take her under their wing and show her the ropes.
Iris, a death witch, has designs on breaking the town curse and thinks that befriending Logan might be the key. However, Jailah, the school's most powerful witch, and Thalia, a nature witch, are not so sure that Logan will prove useful. As the girls integrate Logan into their group and work on breaking the town curse, they must also learn who they can trust before events turn deadly.
Thoughts: I realize how annoying it is to start a review by saying I wish a book was longer, but I wish this book was longer, but I am happy that there is a second book in the series. While I enjoyed this book it felt a bit rushed at certain points and wanted more of each character. That being said, Isabelle did an excellent job of weaving multiple main characters and a complex plot into a single book without making anything confusing.
I think that Iris was my favourite of the four main characters. I thought that the way that she was learning to navigate her powers as a death witch as they grew was interesting and I was immediately on board with nearly any plan that she suggested throughout the book. Although, I did find the growth between each of the girls and their friend group the most compelling part of the story.
Also, the mysterious aspect of the town curse added such an interesting layer to this book and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Isabelle is an excellent writer and I cannot wait to read more of their work.
I would highly recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Murder
theshrew's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
3.5
annamickreads's review
4.0
Honestly I had no expectations going into this book and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it right from the get-go!! There's a really rich world building here, especially for a brand-new witchy school for fans of shows like "Fate: The Winx Saga" to dive into.
The story is told from the point of view of all six main characters, which is already a unique and interesting aspect. The main plot takes place in Florida at a magical school called Mesmortes. One of the characters, Logan, is immediately taken in by a group of powerful witches known as the "Red Three" who are attempting to break a centuries-old curse on the town, Haelsford. As much as having six main character is a delight and really exciting to get to know so many at once, there were also times when I felt like certain characters' stories were undeveloped compared to others.
I think the magic system was really fascinating and I wish we had received more explanations about the rules surrounding the system. Honestly, the concept of a witchy magical school for young adults is perfect for fall and frankly more interesting than That Other Magical School in that most of the students have known they were witches/have different ways of practicing magic/different specialties that make them unique.
TL;DR I think it was a strong debut and I look forward to seeing what S. Isabelle does next!!!
The story is told from the point of view of all six main characters, which is already a unique and interesting aspect. The main plot takes place in Florida at a magical school called Mesmortes. One of the characters, Logan, is immediately taken in by a group of powerful witches known as the "Red Three" who are attempting to break a centuries-old curse on the town, Haelsford. As much as having six main character is a delight and really exciting to get to know so many at once, there were also times when I felt like certain characters' stories were undeveloped compared to others.
I think the magic system was really fascinating and I wish we had received more explanations about the rules surrounding the system. Honestly, the concept of a witchy magical school for young adults is perfect for fall and frankly more interesting than That Other Magical School in that most of the students have known they were witches/have different ways of practicing magic/different specialties that make them unique.
TL;DR I think it was a strong debut and I look forward to seeing what S. Isabelle does next!!!