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cait's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Death of parent, Death, Abandonment, Car accident, Child death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Murder, and Torture
theogeer's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Addiction
bedtimesandbooks's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Grief, Death, Animal cruelty, and Blood
Minor: Car accident
jenny_librarian's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
4.0
It's not peak Buffy, and I'm not sure who exactly this book is supposed to be for, but it was entertaining.
What bothers me with YA Buffy books these days is that they're not for newbies. You have to be a Buffy fan to understand the plot and implications. But the main core fanbase is millennials, all of whom are way past teen years, so writing a YA novel (not that adults can't enjoy YA, but it's made mainly for teens) feels a bit weird when there could be adult novels instead.
And talking about implications, there were a few details that made me cringe, as I'm sure any big fan would. There are small discrepancies that wouldn't jut out to a newbie - but as I stated earlier, this is very much a book for those who already know the show well - that made me go on a rant to myself.
The book itself started well. It was interesting to dive into another slayer's life and discover new characters still connected to the originals. Not sure Spike, Willow and Oz are the best trio to go off from, but I'll accept it. I'll even accept Jake as a poor Xander replacement (although can we PLEASE stop with the dog jokes? None of those were funny and Oz never displayed dog traits so... yeah...) and the cringy romance developing between Hailey and Sigmund.
I wish Drusilla had been the big bad. I know, I know. Been there, done that. But I feel like she would've given it something that - the watered-down version of - the Countess didn't.
It may seem harsh, but you can't just write any old story in the Buffyverse and make it pass to hardcore fans. If you were a casual viewer of the show, you might enjoy it as a continuation (disregarding all the comics, but that's fine cause I never really took an interest in them anyways) and the beginning of a new generation of Scoobies.
My last critic, because I CANNOT ignore that one, is the bi-erasure. Willow isn't gay, she's bisexual. In 2022, we shouldn't have to keep saying it and I find it hella disappointing that this book participated in the bi-erasure she's been victim of since s4.
What bothers me with YA Buffy books these days is that they're not for newbies. You have to be a Buffy fan to understand the plot and implications. But the main core fanbase is millennials, all of whom are way past teen years, so writing a YA novel (not that adults can't enjoy YA, but it's made mainly for teens) feels a bit weird when there could be adult novels instead.
And talking about implications, there were a few details that made me cringe, as I'm sure any big fan would. There are small discrepancies that wouldn't jut out to a newbie - but as I stated earlier, this is very much a book for those who already know the show well - that made me go on a rant to myself.
The book itself started well. It was interesting to dive into another slayer's life and discover new characters still connected to the originals. Not sure Spike, Willow and Oz are the best trio to go off from, but I'll accept it. I'll even accept Jake as a poor Xander replacement (although can we PLEASE stop with the dog jokes? None of those were funny and Oz never displayed dog traits so... yeah...) and the cringy romance developing between Hailey and Sigmund.
I wish Drusilla had been the big bad. I know, I know. Been there, done that. But I feel like she would've given it something that - the watered-down version of - the Countess didn't.
It may seem harsh, but you can't just write any old story in the Buffyverse and make it pass to hardcore fans. If you were a casual viewer of the show, you might enjoy it as a continuation (disregarding all the comics, but that's fine cause I never really took an interest in them anyways) and the beginning of a new generation of Scoobies.
My last critic, because I CANNOT ignore that one, is the bi-erasure. Willow isn't gay, she's bisexual. In 2022, we shouldn't have to keep saying it and I find it hella disappointing that this book participated in the bi-erasure she's been victim of since s4.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, Stalking, and Misogyny
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