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yvonne_cl's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Murder
Minor: Chronic illness, Cursing, Blood, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Abandonment
ammie116's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Suicide, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
davegrohlsgf_'s review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
i loved the concept and the premise of the book, but it also disappointed me a lot. the pop culture references were unnecessary and cringy, and some of the plot points *cough* yuki getting full on powers like elsa *cough* were just terrible. also the stereotypes surrounding the only trans character in the book??? extremely harmful. overall, sad that this one didn't live up to my expectations
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Suicide
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
Minor: Death of parent
mals_library's review
dark
funny
mysterious
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Classism
Minor: Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death of parent, and Abandonment
anniereads221's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, and Abandonment
irelany's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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? Yes
3.75
If I was writing this review based on the first 90% of the book, it would be 4.5 stars. I loved the story and the writing, and the inklings of humor. I think that the characters’ behavior and attitudes are very consistent with their ages, which is rare. Another thing I loved is the awesome inclusivity, even in a book about a bunch of privileged teenage girls.
However, it has some faults. First of all, a lot of the stuff is REALLY on the nose with the whole “princess/fairytale” vibe. It’s the worst with Ella and Rory I think, but it happened with all of the fairytale characters. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the princess stories and how they fit into the modern world, but some details were just a little much. On the other end of the spectrum was Nani. Completely misunderstood her fairytale but I digress.
Another issue I had was the ending. Now the ending was great, I loved it. Definitely gave me some good brain-zaps of figuring things out and connecting dots, but it felt unfinished. I understand that it was intentional, but leaving out part of the story is frustrating to say the least. If she had added maybe 2/3 more chapters with more explanation, then I think this would have been so fantastic. It was a lot of build-up just to not answer some of the biggest questions of the book.
Even with those complaints, I did really enjoy it. Despite the terrible things that happened in the book, it still wasn’t too heavy to read and had great moments of humor and heart-warming sweetness. Truly encapsulated some of the more normal things that happen to you when you’re 16ish.
Overall, I would say that I do recommend this book due to its charming plot, familiar characters, and general aesthetic. However, don’t expect a book with perfect nuanced writing, and don’t expect all of your questions to be answered by the end.
However, it has some faults. First of all, a lot of the stuff is REALLY on the nose with the whole “princess/fairytale” vibe. It’s the worst with Ella and Rory I think, but it happened with all of the fairytale characters. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the princess stories and how they fit into the modern world, but some details were just a little much. On the other end of the spectrum was Nani. Completely misunderstood her fairytale but I digress.
Another issue I had was the ending. Now the ending was great, I loved it. Definitely gave me some good brain-zaps of figuring things out and connecting dots, but it felt unfinished. I understand that it was intentional, but leaving out part of the story is frustrating to say the least. If she had added maybe 2/3 more chapters with more explanation, then I think this would have been so fantastic. It was a lot of build-up just to not answer some of the biggest questions of the book.
Even with those complaints, I did really enjoy it. Despite the terrible things that happened in the book, it still wasn’t too heavy to read and had great moments of humor and heart-warming sweetness. Truly encapsulated some of the more normal things that happen to you when you’re 16ish.
Overall, I would say that I do recommend this book due to its charming plot, familiar characters, and general aesthetic. However, don’t expect a book with perfect nuanced writing, and don’t expect all of your questions to be answered by the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
eviecate's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved this book! The characters were very compelling and I am so excited to see where this series goes. This book is for the kids who read Ever After High as a child and are looking for something a bit darker. I liked the writing as well although it was a little rough at the beginning. The only drawback for me is the mystery. It was very predictable and I guessed who the killer was from the beginning. It was very slow passed but I am hoping that it pays off in the sequel. If I read this book 3 years ago I would have been OBSESSED. The diversity was refreshing, both in LGBT and POC representation. I appreciate that Pohl is unafraid to label her characters on the page. I love fairytale retellings and this series is such an interesting take on it. I can't wait to see how it develops!
Notes after 24 hours: While i initially loved everything about this book there are a few problematic elements that I can't look past. I have knocked this book down a star because of the implications of the problematic representation. A lot of the representation is rooted in stereotypes. The worst of which being (MINOR SPOILERS) the Belle character from Beauty and the Beast's love interest is a trans woman. This character is also tied to the Ugly Duckling fairytale. This implication makes me feel very upset as I did love Svenja's character in the book, I just hate the portrayal of her as "beastly" or "ugly." Other stereotypes include: mean lesbians, the asian main character's arc revolves around parental pressure to be perfect, one character's mental illness being introduced by another character asking her if "she's taken her meds, yet." While i feel like this is still a good book despite stereotyping, I wish the author had put more thought into portraying identities other than her own.
Notes after 24 hours: While i initially loved everything about this book there are a few problematic elements that I can't look past. I have knocked this book down a star because of the implications of the problematic representation. A lot of the representation is rooted in stereotypes. The worst of which being (MINOR SPOILERS) the Belle character from Beauty and the Beast's love interest is a trans woman. This character is also tied to the Ugly Duckling fairytale. This implication makes me feel very upset as I did love Svenja's character in the book, I just hate the portrayal of her as "beastly" or "ugly." Other stereotypes include: mean lesbians, the asian main character's arc revolves around parental pressure to be perfect, one character's mental illness being introduced by another character asking her if "she's taken her meds, yet." While i feel like this is still a good book despite stereotyping, I wish the author had put more thought into portraying identities other than her own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Eating disorder
criticalbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
itshardizzy's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
ohhh what a ride.
the book was very good and I've finished really fast. I really liked how complex the MCs are and how they aren't perfect and have real problems. The book deals with a lot of things, but mostly with grief and with finding ones trueself. It was PLL meets Brothers Grimm but make it Sapphic (and I loved it).
the characters are all relatable and they have real struggles and not just rich people problems. the author really succeed in blend the personal problems of the characters with the main plot and in showing that in the end they are all teenagers that still haven't figure out life. even the side characters have well constructed background and problems that aren't connected with the MCs. and the relationships where really natural and really comfortable to follow.
the plot is very interesting and i saw how PLL heavily influenced the author, literally there was times where I was "am i reading PLL?". there was clues well hidden everywhere and it was fun to put the pieces together.
one thing that I want to talk about is the diversity in here. Although it is a school for the rich and privilege, we also have a few special cases like Ella and Nani, but I didn't really think they tackled those privileges as well as the author could. what the author did well - in my opinion - is to display LGBTQ+ characters without that being the main focus of their stories, being gay is treated normally and that was awesome; but that doesn't mean the author didn't explore the struggles that comes with being yourself and that shows thru Yuki and Svenja.
also I loved Pippa talking with Rory about her being the only black girl in their club and about even though she is rich, black people will never be seen the same as white rich people.
honestly this was a great read, but there was a few parts where i was like ???like the part where yuki told them about what she had said to Ari right before she died and there wasn't much of a reaction; and like the author was building this secret for chapters and making us anxious about how the others would react, but in the end it wasn't that big of a deal . I'm really excited to the follow up and to see if some of my predictions will become a reality and to see how they are gonna deal with the new found truths and with the things they've done.
the book was very good and I've finished really fast. I really liked how complex the MCs are and how they aren't perfect and have real problems. The book deals with a lot of things, but mostly with grief and with finding ones trueself. It was PLL meets Brothers Grimm but make it Sapphic (and I loved it).
the characters are all relatable and they have real struggles and not just rich people problems. the author really succeed in blend the personal problems of the characters with the main plot and in showing that in the end they are all teenagers that still haven't figure out life. even the side characters have well constructed background and problems that aren't connected with the MCs. and the relationships where really natural and really comfortable to follow.
the plot is very interesting and i saw how PLL heavily influenced the author, literally there was times where I was "am i reading PLL?". there was clues well hidden everywhere and it was fun to put the pieces together.
one thing that I want to talk about is the diversity in here. Although it is a school for the rich and privilege, we also have a few special cases like Ella and Nani, but I didn't really think they tackled those privileges as well as the author could. what the author did well - in my opinion - is to display LGBTQ+ characters without that being the main focus of their stories, being gay is treated normally and that was awesome; but that doesn't mean the author didn't explore the struggles that comes with being yourself and that shows thru Yuki and Svenja.
honestly this was a great read, but there was a few parts where i was like ???
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm and Death of parent
Minor: Racism and Transphobia
themixedpages's review
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Vomit, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Deadnaming