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shaunareads's review
2.0
I made it about 20% into this book before I sadly had to DNF. The main character was just kind of going with the flow even though weird stuff was happening without questioning anything. Hear a weird voice telling you to recite an incantation? Definitely read it without thinking about it. Things were just happening to her and she wasn't being proactive. She was always just guided by what other people told her today or the feeling she had to do something by persuasion of this book she found, because, plot.
I also didn't enjoy the presumable love interest (Landen). How he spoke was supposed to be enduring and have funny banter with Hannah but it just came across as cocky and kind of annoying.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I also didn't enjoy the presumable love interest (Landen). How he spoke was supposed to be enduring and have funny banter with Hannah but it just came across as cocky and kind of annoying.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
ameserole's review
2.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Awakened was one of those book that seemed too good to be true. Or maybe it's just because the synopsis completely sucked me in and then the book was just a complete disappointment.
Not that I'm saying I hated the book because I didn't. There are some things that were pretty interesting but never escalated the correct way. Again, it could just be me though.
In it, you will meet Hannah and Callan. She is thrown into a world where there's light and dark magic. Callan is sort of there to help her along the way but it definitely seems like there's a hidden agenda too. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about their romance. It never felt forced to me but I also didn't like it to begin with either.
Also, I'm not going to lie - I had a ton of questions when it came to the magic throughout this book. Which is kind of a depressing in a lot of ways due to never getting the full answer on anything really.
Even after the ending, I'm just kind of left wondering what the exact point of this entire book was. It just kind of seemed like a jumbled up idea that just fizzled out.
In the end, this book definitely had potential to be a lot better than it was. Especially when it came to so many unanswered questions about the magic. I am, however, glad that I got the chance to dive into this book. I wouldn't mind diving into another book written by this author either. She has potential to write a great book and I can't wait to read it one day.
Awakened was one of those book that seemed too good to be true. Or maybe it's just because the synopsis completely sucked me in and then the book was just a complete disappointment.
Not that I'm saying I hated the book because I didn't. There are some things that were pretty interesting but never escalated the correct way. Again, it could just be me though.
In it, you will meet Hannah and Callan. She is thrown into a world where there's light and dark magic. Callan is sort of there to help her along the way but it definitely seems like there's a hidden agenda too. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about their romance. It never felt forced to me but I also didn't like it to begin with either.
Also, I'm not going to lie - I had a ton of questions when it came to the magic throughout this book. Which is kind of a depressing in a lot of ways due to never getting the full answer on anything really.
Even after the ending, I'm just kind of left wondering what the exact point of this entire book was. It just kind of seemed like a jumbled up idea that just fizzled out.
In the end, this book definitely had potential to be a lot better than it was. Especially when it came to so many unanswered questions about the magic. I am, however, glad that I got the chance to dive into this book. I wouldn't mind diving into another book written by this author either. She has potential to write a great book and I can't wait to read it one day.
multicoloredbookreviews's review
2.0
First things first
If we're talking broad brush strokes, the book was ok. The overall story structure was fine, the plot was interesting enough, I didn't hate the characters and I found no SPaG issues. I think tweens would find this book very much to their liking.
However, I've long since grown out of my tween years, and I don't think this book is particularly suited for an older, more discerning and experienced reader. First, the writing felt VERY clunky. There was a certain amateurish feel to how the sentences were structured. In particular, one thing that kept tripping me up was the recurrent switch of third person narrator types. The fluctuation between omniscient and limited was disconcerting and distracting.
Second, because the book had such a strong juvenile vibe, the few gruesome, violent scenes that made their way into this tale clashed really harshly with the overall mood. Picture a character being killed in a very explicit, somewhat bloody fashion in an animated Disney film. It'd be weird, right? It'd feel out of place.
Third, the characters were a bit flat for my liking. Hannah was a very negative, glass-half-empty kind of girl. Her constant dreary, dejected attitude was quite tiring. The antagonist was your stereotypical bad
I think all the main characters would have benefited from a bit more development.
And that brings me to my last point: I think the author tried to cram too much in too few pages. I think the majority of events even took place within a couple of days. It was all VERY rushed.
Maybe this story would have worked better as a duet, to give the plot more room to breathe. Space for characters and events to be more solidly established and properly fleshed out. To dive deeper into the lore of this world and the ins and outs of magic and the people capable of wielding it. The rhyming spells were very fun and I enjoyed them, but because the addition of magic got reduced to a few rhymes and supernatural creatures, the book ended up feeling unfinished.
I believe Ciara Duggan has the potential to be a great author, but this book in particular just had a subpar execution. However, I still think a specific demographic may find it enjoyable. I think it's well suited to young, casual readers. So I'd encourage people to try it out and see what they think.
**I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher**
jessicat10's review
3.0
3.5 I like anything about witches and magic so this was right up my alley. I loved the premise. It held my attention the whole time. However I do wish it was maybe a little longer so there was more detail. It felt like everything happened so fast. I still enjoyed it and I think it's worth the read.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
infinitystar's review
3.0
eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3 stars ⭐️
Anything with witches and magic gets my interest right away, and this was no exception.
I really liked the premise of this and it sounded like something I would really enjoy, and i did, I did like the story. I just think the book could’ve been a little longer, a few more pages explaining the characters and the magic system and giving them more depth would’ve made this even better. It was overall an easy and fast read, it does have a good concept, but the execution just could’ve been a bit better.
Something I really liked was the fact that this book had a representation of anxiety (being someone that’s struggles with it, i felt seen). the romance was okay and the main character was a little annoying at times but overall good.
It is a book that will grip you to his pages and make you continue reading because you want to find out what happens.
I will probably re-read this once it’s released to see if my opinion changes.
3 stars ⭐️
Anything with witches and magic gets my interest right away, and this was no exception.
I really liked the premise of this and it sounded like something I would really enjoy, and i did, I did like the story. I just think the book could’ve been a little longer, a few more pages explaining the characters and the magic system and giving them more depth would’ve made this even better. It was overall an easy and fast read, it does have a good concept, but the execution just could’ve been a bit better.
Something I really liked was the fact that this book had a representation of anxiety (being someone that’s struggles with it, i felt seen). the romance was okay and the main character was a little annoying at times but overall good.
It is a book that will grip you to his pages and make you continue reading because you want to find out what happens.
I will probably re-read this once it’s released to see if my opinion changes.
holsarmstrong's review
2.0
1.5 stars.
I don't really know where to begin with this one. You know when someone says, don't judge a book by its cover...well I did. This time I judged it by expecting this book to be really good and it just wasn't.
I have so many small issues with this book and I really wanted to go into this book liking it and I just didn't.
Here's my rant.
First off, the premise sounded great which is why I was excited when I received an ARC for this. This, alongside the pretty cover, is only what has made my rating go from 1 star to 1.5 stars. However, where on earth was the world-building in this book? I understand the author was trying to set the story in modern-day as we know it, but in our main character's eyes, this sudden world of witches just appears and Hannah just accepts it? Sorry? If someone turned around to me and suddenly told me we were living alongside the supernatural, I certainly wouldn't take it as well as our MC did. We also get thrust into the main plot point in chapter one with no build-up whatsoever. Pacing who? Because this book doesn't know her.
Equally, the characters were as bland and dull as watching paint dry. They honestly had no personality to speak of and were as memorable as my time in the womb.
Hannah - let's talk about every cliche thrown into one character here. Apparently having dead parents is now a personality trait and this girl's "grief" was honestly unbelievable. I felt like I could see what the author was trying to convey...but it just didn't happen.
Callan - okay, I get the guy is old but his speech was honestly the main issue I had with this book. I understand that he has just risen from a long sleep into the modern world, but this guy honestly spoke like an idiot. I am pretty sure people back in whenever the hell it was didn't speak in the same weird way as he did. I forgot to highlight examples but there would be times words used today would have been used back then too such as toilet or again, but it's as if this author has Googled the oldest synonym of said word and it really broke the story apart. I found myself re-reading some pages of dialogue because I found it harder to digest what was being said. I think Shakespeare has some easier dialogue than this character did. Poor guy.
Also, the conflict in this book was boring. Mara was about as evil as my big toe and I couldn't see what all the fuss was about. The plot supposedly revolved around this grimoire and defeating her but literally nothing happened.
I just didn't get on with this book and if it wasn't for the pretty cover, I would have never picked it up.
This is not something I recommend, sadly.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don't really know where to begin with this one. You know when someone says, don't judge a book by its cover...well I did. This time I judged it by expecting this book to be really good and it just wasn't.
I have so many small issues with this book and I really wanted to go into this book liking it and I just didn't.
Here's my rant.
First off, the premise sounded great which is why I was excited when I received an ARC for this. This, alongside the pretty cover, is only what has made my rating go from 1 star to 1.5 stars. However, where on earth was the world-building in this book? I understand the author was trying to set the story in modern-day as we know it, but in our main character's eyes, this sudden world of witches just appears and Hannah just accepts it? Sorry? If someone turned around to me and suddenly told me we were living alongside the supernatural, I certainly wouldn't take it as well as our MC did. We also get thrust into the main plot point in chapter one with no build-up whatsoever. Pacing who? Because this book doesn't know her.
Equally, the characters were as bland and dull as watching paint dry. They honestly had no personality to speak of and were as memorable as my time in the womb.
Hannah - let's talk about every cliche thrown into one character here. Apparently having dead parents is now a personality trait and this girl's "grief" was honestly unbelievable. I felt like I could see what the author was trying to convey...but it just didn't happen.
Callan - okay, I get the guy is old but his speech was honestly the main issue I had with this book. I understand that he has just risen from a long sleep into the modern world, but this guy honestly spoke like an idiot. I am pretty sure people back in whenever the hell it was didn't speak in the same weird way as he did. I forgot to highlight examples but there would be times words used today would have been used back then too such as toilet or again, but it's as if this author has Googled the oldest synonym of said word and it really broke the story apart. I found myself re-reading some pages of dialogue because I found it harder to digest what was being said. I think Shakespeare has some easier dialogue than this character did. Poor guy.
Also, the conflict in this book was boring. Mara was about as evil as my big toe and I couldn't see what all the fuss was about. The plot supposedly revolved around this grimoire and defeating her but literally nothing happened.
I just didn't get on with this book and if it wasn't for the pretty cover, I would have never picked it up.
This is not something I recommend, sadly.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
readingwithpapillons's review
3.0
Firstly wanted to thank the Publisher for sending me a copy of the eARC
librarypatronus's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Independent Publishers group for the ARC of this in exchange for my honest review.
The cover is absolutely stunning and was what first called to me when I saw this book on Netgalley. I was also excited to see it was advertised as for fans of Crave, and I would add fans of A Discovery of Witches (but keep in mind this was YA) and the Sweep series, to the list. It was a witchy fast-paced read, that tended to rely on tropes and the subversion of them to keep the story moving along. I enjoyed reading it, but was not shocked to find out that it was a debut book. The writing style was not my favorite, while the plot was fun and interesting, and I think some of that is just getting a first book out there. I would definitely give this author another try, and would recommend if you're needing an easy read to start off your spoopy season reading or to sandwich between two horror books this fall.
The cover is absolutely stunning and was what first called to me when I saw this book on Netgalley. I was also excited to see it was advertised as for fans of Crave, and I would add fans of A Discovery of Witches (but keep in mind this was YA) and the Sweep series, to the list. It was a witchy fast-paced read, that tended to rely on tropes and the subversion of them to keep the story moving along. I enjoyed reading it, but was not shocked to find out that it was a debut book. The writing style was not my favorite, while the plot was fun and interesting, and I think some of that is just getting a first book out there. I would definitely give this author another try, and would recommend if you're needing an easy read to start off your spoopy season reading or to sandwich between two horror books this fall.
hasnita_singh's review
3.0
I didn't love this but I didn't dislike it either. It was quick and fun but I found some of the things that happened a little hard to believe.
You can check out my full review here: https://hasnitasinghauthor.com/2021/08/30/awakened-by-ciara-duggan-arc-review/
You can check out my full review here: https://hasnitasinghauthor.com/2021/08/30/awakened-by-ciara-duggan-arc-review/
ashthebookqueen's review
4.0
This was really good! The fall vibes in the beginning. Ugh it had me hooked. The romance was a little bit instant love but I didn’t mind it. I feel the ending was a little rushed and the magic could of been a little more in depth. Other than that I highly enjoyed this book!