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mike_bolter's review
5.0
From the very beginning I’m hooked on this book, this series, these people in the pages. Heather Lyons has brought some new life into an old storybook tale and we’re going to go down the rabbit hole, back out, and then around some more!
“I’m asking you to be strong and smart and brave, and to protect those who cannot protect themselves”
As anyone who follows my reviews knows, I love a good new recruit/introduction to the larger organization scene. Something about it never fails to draw me into the story. But then I would imagine that’s kind of the point. I also love breaking the 4th wall as it were in books. Books about books. Where the characters love the same stories and characters that I do. The Collectors Society is all about that.
“Books to these people become tangible, living things. The characters they read become genuine souls.”
Much more American McGee then Lewis Carroll, it’s got plenty of action and butt kicking to go around. And while at first glance this could pass for a YA book, but takes a definite naughty turn. So parents, check this out first before deciding if it’s right for your younger reader.
Such a book hangover after this story, I’m pretty sure the only cure will be the hair of the dog and dive into book #2 The Hidden Library!
“Callooh, callay, indeed.”
“I’m asking you to be strong and smart and brave, and to protect those who cannot protect themselves”
As anyone who follows my reviews knows, I love a good new recruit/introduction to the larger organization scene. Something about it never fails to draw me into the story. But then I would imagine that’s kind of the point. I also love breaking the 4th wall as it were in books. Books about books. Where the characters love the same stories and characters that I do. The Collectors Society is all about that.
“Books to these people become tangible, living things. The characters they read become genuine souls.”
Much more American McGee then Lewis Carroll, it’s got plenty of action and butt kicking to go around. And while at first glance this could pass for a YA book, but takes a definite naughty turn. So parents, check this out first before deciding if it’s right for your younger reader.
Such a book hangover after this story, I’m pretty sure the only cure will be the hair of the dog and dive into book #2 The Hidden Library!
“Callooh, callay, indeed.”
nicolemhewitt's review
5.0
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book completely blew me away! I knew that it was a retelling of some sort based on Alice in Wonderland, but that was about all I knew when I started reading. Well, what I discovered was a book that was completely unique and compelling in so many more ways than I can even begin to explain – I LOVED it!
It’s hard for me to review this book properly because I SO don’t want to give too much away. There were so many delightful surprises, and I loved discovering them all along the way. So, I’ll do my best to sum up why I loved the book without giving away details.
What I LOVED:
Crazy-strong heroine.
Alice is all grown up, and she’s no pushover. She’s seen a few (million) things, and let’s just say her experiences have left their mark. Alice can take care of herself – and she doesn’t let anyone forget it. She doesn’t wait to be rescued, doesn’t let the men in her life tell her what to do or where to go, and doesn’t give up when things get rough (which they definitely do). Alice is smart and strong with just the perfect amount of snark. She’s practically the perfect heroine!
The romance.
Speaking of perfect, then there’s Finn, Alice’s partner at The Collectors’ Society. He’s everything you want in a love interest – sweet, intelligent, caring, brawny, funny and protective without being pushy or overbearing. He definitely had me swooning! The romance is developed slowly, so I found myself rooting for Alice and Finn long before their first kiss, which I loved. This couple was definitely worth waiting for! There was also another love interest in the book, who was just as amazing as Finn. Don’t get too worried – there isn’t really a love triangle. Not really. But there is someone in Alice’s past who still holds a major place in her heart and who does factor into the story. I don’t want to say much about it because I hate to spoil anything, but I will just say that I loved the other guy just as much as I loved Finn, and everyone involved handled all of the events in the book with an incredible amount of maturity. It was nice to see all the characters act like grown-ups (which doesn’t always happen, even in adult books).
Fun references to the classics.
Alice in Wonderland isn’t the only story referenced in this book. Lots of classic stories are featured, and there are references to many of them sprinkled throughout the book. Reading this book made me want to go back and re-read all of those classics (or read them for the first time, in some cases!).
The writing.
There were SO many parts of this book that I highlighted because I was just loving it so much. The tone was fun and humorous, but the story was also very poignant at times. I was attached to these characters and this story – Lyons drew me in from the very beginning and I never wanted to come back up out of the rabbit hole!
The negatives:
I have to wait too long for the next book.
I actually don’t know when the next book comes out (I didn’t see it on Goodreads), but if it doesn’t come out tomorrow, then it’s too long to wait. Honestly, I can’t think of much else negative to say about this one.
If I could give more than 5 stars to The Collectors’ Society, I would. I feel like Lyons is some sort of creative genius for coming up with this story and making me love it so much! Definitely 5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This book completely blew me away! I knew that it was a retelling of some sort based on Alice in Wonderland, but that was about all I knew when I started reading. Well, what I discovered was a book that was completely unique and compelling in so many more ways than I can even begin to explain – I LOVED it!
It’s hard for me to review this book properly because I SO don’t want to give too much away. There were so many delightful surprises, and I loved discovering them all along the way. So, I’ll do my best to sum up why I loved the book without giving away details.
What I LOVED:
Crazy-strong heroine.
Alice is all grown up, and she’s no pushover. She’s seen a few (million) things, and let’s just say her experiences have left their mark. Alice can take care of herself – and she doesn’t let anyone forget it. She doesn’t wait to be rescued, doesn’t let the men in her life tell her what to do or where to go, and doesn’t give up when things get rough (which they definitely do). Alice is smart and strong with just the perfect amount of snark. She’s practically the perfect heroine!
The romance.
Speaking of perfect, then there’s Finn, Alice’s partner at The Collectors’ Society. He’s everything you want in a love interest – sweet, intelligent, caring, brawny, funny and protective without being pushy or overbearing. He definitely had me swooning! The romance is developed slowly, so I found myself rooting for Alice and Finn long before their first kiss, which I loved. This couple was definitely worth waiting for! There was also another love interest in the book, who was just as amazing as Finn. Don’t get too worried – there isn’t really a love triangle. Not really. But there is someone in Alice’s past who still holds a major place in her heart and who does factor into the story. I don’t want to say much about it because I hate to spoil anything, but I will just say that I loved the other guy just as much as I loved Finn, and everyone involved handled all of the events in the book with an incredible amount of maturity. It was nice to see all the characters act like grown-ups (which doesn’t always happen, even in adult books).
Fun references to the classics.
Alice in Wonderland isn’t the only story referenced in this book. Lots of classic stories are featured, and there are references to many of them sprinkled throughout the book. Reading this book made me want to go back and re-read all of those classics (or read them for the first time, in some cases!).
The writing.
There were SO many parts of this book that I highlighted because I was just loving it so much. The tone was fun and humorous, but the story was also very poignant at times. I was attached to these characters and this story – Lyons drew me in from the very beginning and I never wanted to come back up out of the rabbit hole!
The negatives:
I have to wait too long for the next book.
I actually don’t know when the next book comes out (I didn’t see it on Goodreads), but if it doesn’t come out tomorrow, then it’s too long to wait. Honestly, I can’t think of much else negative to say about this one.
If I could give more than 5 stars to The Collectors’ Society, I would. I feel like Lyons is some sort of creative genius for coming up with this story and making me love it so much! Definitely 5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
kerrythefire's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Give me all the Alice in Wonderland reimaginings! This is certainly a reimagining as opposed to a retelling, but it was a lot of fun. I appreciated the nods to the original Alice in Wonderland that we did get though. The Easter eggs were satisfying.
The characters are all really loveable. Of course I really liked Alice and Finn like I was supposed to, but also Victor just stole my heart a little... Maybe I have a soft spot for broken men who mask it with vibrato 🙃
I like the concept of the story because I love when fairytales and lore overlap and interplay with each other. It left me wanting more of everyone else's stories too. The story was really visual so, as I was listening to the audiobook, it was almost like watching a movie because I could picture the story so well and the pacing felt really well balanced.
I didn't love the plot point aboutAlice and the White King being so madly in love and simply not allowed to be together at the same time Alice is falling in love with Finn. I know Mary tried to confirm for us, the readers, that Alice wasn't picking Finn just because she couldn't be with Jace, but it still didn't feel 100% satisfying to me. Especially when Alice says that if she stayed in Wonderland she and Jace wouldn't be able to stay apart. I never like love triangles though, so I'm not surprised this bothered me . However, it was a really beautiful scene when Finn told Alice about his conversation with the White King. Made me just love Finn even more. What a solid dude.
A four book series seems like kind of a big commitment to me, but I'll stick around for book 2 at least cuz this was a good time.
The characters are all really loveable. Of course I really liked Alice and Finn like I was supposed to, but also Victor just stole my heart a little... Maybe I have a soft spot for broken men who mask it with vibrato 🙃
I like the concept of the story because I love when fairytales and lore overlap and interplay with each other. It left me wanting more of everyone else's stories too. The story was really visual so, as I was listening to the audiobook, it was almost like watching a movie because I could picture the story so well and the pacing felt really well balanced.
I didn't love the plot point about
A four book series seems like kind of a big commitment to me, but I'll stick around for book 2 at least cuz this was a good time.
mrshollyanne's review against another edition
5.0
This book was A LOT MORE than I expected it to be. A LOT MORE.
SO GOOOOOOD
SO GOOOOOOD
mccorbin's review against another edition
5.0
I honestly do not think that I can do this book justice even if I were to write a fantastic review based on the plot, characters, action, drama, and love present in this book. Heather Lyons deserves so much praise for concocting such a brilliant world that revolves around our childhood stories. I have to admit that I was in awe the entire book, and I mean the entire book. While delving into the first chapter, I had no idea what was in store. The synopsis sounded intriguing and I really enjoyed Lyons’ “The Deep End of the Sea” so I knew that I would like this book, but I didn’t know that I would absolutely fall in love with this book.
The Collectors’ Society is one of those rare books that pick you up and drop you down into a fantasy-woven world, mixed with some reality and that you become a part of and can feel the guttural emotions written on the pages. Lyons did an amazing job interweaving the fictional characters of popular childhood stories and turning them into factual being that I either immediately loved or tremendously hated. She also kept the surprises ever-present and held her cards close to her heart and played them at just the right time to keep this story uniquely entertaining.
I’m not going to say a lot about the plot or characters specifically because I want you, the reader, to be able to learn and love them like I did, which was blindly. Again, the synopsis sounded intriguing but I had no idea what a wonderful world I was about to step into. I will say that each character is written to be extremely different and rare than what you will expect. I found myself gravitating towards those at the Society and those in Wonderland (the White King especially) and falling in love with them. As for the plot, it was brilliantly mapped out and written to be seamless and thrilling.
This book doesn’t deserve just five stars – it deserves a heck of a lot more! Also, the two books that I have read from Lyons have both been rated five stars because she is a brilliant writer with an imagination that beyond compare. What does this mean? It means read her books because you will not be disappointed!
Let me leave you with a heartfelt quote from the book that touched my heart while I was reading.
“I think you are my north star. Wonderland doesn’t have one. The stars above move on a nightly basis. One night’s sky is always different from the next’s. It’s hard to anchor yourself when you can’t find a north star. Sometimes, you would feel like you’re floating, lost in space. I was lost, without purpose when I left Wonderland. I feared I would never find my footing again. Never find anything that would help me move past the confusion and desolation and helplessness of my past. But then I came to the Collectors’ Society. I met you. My feet found solid ground. A fixed star shines in my sky.” Truly beautiful.
The Collectors’ Society is one of those rare books that pick you up and drop you down into a fantasy-woven world, mixed with some reality and that you become a part of and can feel the guttural emotions written on the pages. Lyons did an amazing job interweaving the fictional characters of popular childhood stories and turning them into factual being that I either immediately loved or tremendously hated. She also kept the surprises ever-present and held her cards close to her heart and played them at just the right time to keep this story uniquely entertaining.
I’m not going to say a lot about the plot or characters specifically because I want you, the reader, to be able to learn and love them like I did, which was blindly. Again, the synopsis sounded intriguing but I had no idea what a wonderful world I was about to step into. I will say that each character is written to be extremely different and rare than what you will expect. I found myself gravitating towards those at the Society and those in Wonderland (the White King especially) and falling in love with them. As for the plot, it was brilliantly mapped out and written to be seamless and thrilling.
This book doesn’t deserve just five stars – it deserves a heck of a lot more! Also, the two books that I have read from Lyons have both been rated five stars because she is a brilliant writer with an imagination that beyond compare. What does this mean? It means read her books because you will not be disappointed!
Let me leave you with a heartfelt quote from the book that touched my heart while I was reading.
“I think you are my north star. Wonderland doesn’t have one. The stars above move on a nightly basis. One night’s sky is always different from the next’s. It’s hard to anchor yourself when you can’t find a north star. Sometimes, you would feel like you’re floating, lost in space. I was lost, without purpose when I left Wonderland. I feared I would never find my footing again. Never find anything that would help me move past the confusion and desolation and helplessness of my past. But then I came to the Collectors’ Society. I met you. My feet found solid ground. A fixed star shines in my sky.” Truly beautiful.
duartepatri's review against another edition
5.0
It is an "Oh my God" kind of book. Imaginative, unique....it was thrilling, romantic and takes us for a ride on different "timelines"....I got the urge of picking up all the classics and read them all over again, just to see where the characters came from. Finn especially.
Finn is to die for but The White King, Jace,he was AMAZING!!! he broke my heart but it didn't bleed like his. I wish we get to see thim succeding in the coming books..What a perfect man for the love of god!!!
Counting days for its sequel!!!
Finn is to die for but The White King, Jace,he was AMAZING!!! he broke my heart but it didn't bleed like his. I wish we get to see thim succeding in the coming books..What a perfect man for the love of god!!!
Counting days for its sequel!!!
jen286's review against another edition
4.0
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
4.5 stars
The Collectors' Society was my one book club read for this month and I loved it. I was hooked right from the beginning and I cannot wait to start reading the next book!
The story opens with Alice in a mental institution and a man comes with a proposition for her. She is needed to help save Wonderland. Without her help, without her going back, everyone she is trying to protect by staying away will die. How can she let that happen?
Alice is whisked away to modern day New York and this wonderful story really begins. I loved Alice. They way she thought about everything, how she dealt with all the new technology and modern ways, how she always tried to walk that line between madness and not, just everything about how she was. I just loved her voice. I couldn't put the book down once I started reading it. Alice is kind of broken by what happened in Wonderland, what made her leave, but also very strong. She doesn't worry much about what is happening in the modern day as she knows she has faced so much worse in Wonderland. Nothing now can be as bad as what she has been through.
When she gets to New York she starts finding out about this world she didn't know existed. She didn't know there was a book written about her and her adventures. The whole popular stories are real in their own timelines, their own worlds, was fascinating. The characters in stories are real people living within their story world, though others can come into their world and interact with them. Each story has an artifact or object that represents their story. If it is destroyed then everyone in the story at that time is destroyed as well. And someone is destroying artifacts. That is where the Society comes in. They are trying to collect as many as they can to save people's lives.
I found it really fascinating the discussions in the book about how you shouldn't read your own book. How a story is what an author thinks of a situation, not necessarily how the characters themselves would have shown it or thought about it. I really loved it. At first I thought oh, imagine if I could go into my favorite stories and interact with my favorite characters! That would be so much fun. Then I thought what would they really be like? Would they be like the author wrote them? Would they be different? Would they hate their stories? It was very interesting to me.
Everyone in the Society that goes out on missions is paired up with a parter. When Alice arrives she is paired with Finn. Oh how I loved Finn. Right from the beginning you can just see there is something there between these two. Alice tries to fight it as long as she can as she shouldn't feel this way, not with everything that has happened to her, but oh it was fun to read. Finn is wonderful. I loved him to pieces. I don't really remember Huckleberry Finn very well, but he makes me want to go back and re-read his book and see what it says about him. He was so sweet and kind and just wonderful. They work really well together. They are a wonderful us.
"Us. Two letters combine to make a tiny word whose connotation is massive. There is an us here. He and I, we're partners. We are also part of the Society and have a shared sense of being misunderstood characters in beloved books. But when he says this word, when these two letters combine to make a single syllable from his mouth, it feels more than that. It feels both broader, more significant. And yet smaller and exclusive all at once.
Us is a heady, dangerous word."
There is a lot to love about this book. It was interesting that when Alice does go back to Wonderland it is not as crazy as I would have thought. Having read Alice in Wonderland not too long ago I remember loving it for how whimsical it was, but this Wonderland was more normal. It just comes across as a normal place with a magical element. Very much fun to read. And I loved how the author dealt with the whole White King/Finn situation. Very well done. I loved most everything about this story. How everything was revealed slowly. How you get Alice's story as it is revealed to the reader. How you are not quite sure what had happened to her, but by the end you get the whole picture. Such fun.
The one small thing I didn't like? The story identification codes. I could never figure out what story they were referring to until I was told by one of the characters. But that is just a minor thing. Really a great read. I cannot wait to see what happens next!
4.5 stars
The Collectors' Society was my one book club read for this month and I loved it. I was hooked right from the beginning and I cannot wait to start reading the next book!
The story opens with Alice in a mental institution and a man comes with a proposition for her. She is needed to help save Wonderland. Without her help, without her going back, everyone she is trying to protect by staying away will die. How can she let that happen?
Alice is whisked away to modern day New York and this wonderful story really begins. I loved Alice. They way she thought about everything, how she dealt with all the new technology and modern ways, how she always tried to walk that line between madness and not, just everything about how she was. I just loved her voice. I couldn't put the book down once I started reading it. Alice is kind of broken by what happened in Wonderland, what made her leave, but also very strong. She doesn't worry much about what is happening in the modern day as she knows she has faced so much worse in Wonderland. Nothing now can be as bad as what she has been through.
When she gets to New York she starts finding out about this world she didn't know existed. She didn't know there was a book written about her and her adventures. The whole popular stories are real in their own timelines, their own worlds, was fascinating. The characters in stories are real people living within their story world, though others can come into their world and interact with them. Each story has an artifact or object that represents their story. If it is destroyed then everyone in the story at that time is destroyed as well. And someone is destroying artifacts. That is where the Society comes in. They are trying to collect as many as they can to save people's lives.
I found it really fascinating the discussions in the book about how you shouldn't read your own book. How a story is what an author thinks of a situation, not necessarily how the characters themselves would have shown it or thought about it. I really loved it. At first I thought oh, imagine if I could go into my favorite stories and interact with my favorite characters! That would be so much fun. Then I thought what would they really be like? Would they be like the author wrote them? Would they be different? Would they hate their stories? It was very interesting to me.
Everyone in the Society that goes out on missions is paired up with a parter. When Alice arrives she is paired with Finn. Oh how I loved Finn. Right from the beginning you can just see there is something there between these two. Alice tries to fight it as long as she can as she shouldn't feel this way, not with everything that has happened to her, but oh it was fun to read. Finn is wonderful. I loved him to pieces. I don't really remember Huckleberry Finn very well, but he makes me want to go back and re-read his book and see what it says about him. He was so sweet and kind and just wonderful. They work really well together. They are a wonderful us.
"Us. Two letters combine to make a tiny word whose connotation is massive. There is an us here. He and I, we're partners. We are also part of the Society and have a shared sense of being misunderstood characters in beloved books. But when he says this word, when these two letters combine to make a single syllable from his mouth, it feels more than that. It feels both broader, more significant. And yet smaller and exclusive all at once.
Us is a heady, dangerous word."
There is a lot to love about this book. It was interesting that when Alice does go back to Wonderland it is not as crazy as I would have thought. Having read Alice in Wonderland not too long ago I remember loving it for how whimsical it was, but this Wonderland was more normal. It just comes across as a normal place with a magical element. Very much fun to read. And I loved how the author dealt with the whole White King/Finn situation. Very well done. I loved most everything about this story. How everything was revealed slowly. How you get Alice's story as it is revealed to the reader. How you are not quite sure what had happened to her, but by the end you get the whole picture. Such fun.
The one small thing I didn't like? The story identification codes. I could never figure out what story they were referring to until I was told by one of the characters. But that is just a minor thing. Really a great read. I cannot wait to see what happens next!
amachonis's review against another edition
1.0
DNF...maybe another time. Just didn't catch my interest as much as the other books I've chosen to read lately.
sk24's review against another edition
Sigh...this book has such great ratings! And the concept was sooooooo intriguing. I was really, truly excited about the concept of the story, especially after reading this quote:
"Every time a book is published and embraced by a large population, a Timeline is created - or at least made visible to the rest of us. Timelines are worlds filled with people who are living out their living out their lives just like you or me. There are countless worlds in existence right now, and more being created every year."
Sadly, I just can't seem to get into it. I'm finding myself bored and just wishing I was reading something else. Maybe it's because I haven't read a lot of these books that it keeps referencing. It might be more interesting if I knew the characters and stories they are constantly referencing throughout this book. But for someone who hasn't read those books, I'm finding it difficult to connect.
I also want to add that there were way too many errors in this book as well - something that drives me crazy, especially in professionally published books.
I gave it 30% - that's more than I usually give when books bore me so. But, I have decided to put this one down and move onto the next.
"Every time a book is published and embraced by a large population, a Timeline is created - or at least made visible to the rest of us. Timelines are worlds filled with people who are living out their living out their lives just like you or me. There are countless worlds in existence right now, and more being created every year."
Sadly, I just can't seem to get into it. I'm finding myself bored and just wishing I was reading something else. Maybe it's because I haven't read a lot of these books that it keeps referencing. It might be more interesting if I knew the characters and stories they are constantly referencing throughout this book. But for someone who hasn't read those books, I'm finding it difficult to connect.
I also want to add that there were way too many errors in this book as well - something that drives me crazy, especially in professionally published books.
I gave it 30% - that's more than I usually give when books bore me so. But, I have decided to put this one down and move onto the next.
thebooktrollop's review against another edition
5.0
So I have a confession to make...
Alice in Wonderland is probably one of my least favorite stories... I think it has to do with the way the movies portrayed this fantasy land, I always felt like I was on drugs while watching them...
Even Johnny Depp couldn't turn me on to it and I love me some him...
Don't throw things at me because even if I didn't care for this particular children's story, I did LOVE The Collectors' Society!!
I don't think LOVE is a big enough word for this story... It's more like obsessed, I want to capture Heather Lyons and hold her in my basement until she produces the next edition, kind of love...
Too Much??
Ehh... I am sort of kidding, I don't have a basement..
This book entranced me so much that once I started, it was 6 hrs later before I realized it was dark outside, my husband was snoring next to me and I didn't even remember the last time I went pee (which is a feat on it's own because I have a baby always pushing on my bladder)... I couldn't believe I had lost myself so wholly that I didn't even remember my husband coming to bed or that I had lost so much time.
But I also didn't care, I needed to keep reading and finish what I started...
I couldn't put the book down!
The characters, storyline, the way everything was presented and explained...everything about this book just kept me present and not wanting to put it down. Even after I finished reading it, I was left thinking about timelines, books I loved as a kid, what I would do if I met one of my favorite characters.. I was just so lost in this world and I am a little depressed to be done, because I didn't want it to be over!
Heather has an amazing knack for making you travel inside her books and taking you on a journey that you never want to end! The imagery that is produced inside your mind is so refreshing and unique. Her stories may have similar elements to stories past (like the legend of Medusa or Alice in Wonderland) but she puts her own spin on it that makes it completely her own. She isn't retelling old stories, she is creating new ones with new experiences, and new adventures!
Plus, her characters are older so I have more in common with them and it's not kid-like because certain scenes wanted to melt my panties off!! BUT at the same time, this book and her previous works have given me a sense of nostalgia by bringing characters to life that I haven't read about in so long. I wanted to reintroduce myself to the old books I have long since put away because it is like she is continuing their stories by keeping them alive in her own books.
I know I will never be disappointed with anything she writes and she quickly became one of my favorites, go to, must read everything she writes even her grocery list kind of author!! If you haven't read anything by her yet, I HIGHLY URGE you to do so!! You will not be disappointed, I guarantee it!
No surprise, I give this amazing story 5 "I can't wait for more" Stars!!! Oh and even though it is a series, this first book DOES NOT end on a cliffhanger, but you will be salivating for the next book!
Alice in Wonderland is probably one of my least favorite stories... I think it has to do with the way the movies portrayed this fantasy land, I always felt like I was on drugs while watching them...
Even Johnny Depp couldn't turn me on to it and I love me some him...
Don't throw things at me because even if I didn't care for this particular children's story, I did LOVE The Collectors' Society!!
I don't think LOVE is a big enough word for this story... It's more like obsessed, I want to capture Heather Lyons and hold her in my basement until she produces the next edition, kind of love...
Too Much??
Ehh... I am sort of kidding, I don't have a basement..
This book entranced me so much that once I started, it was 6 hrs later before I realized it was dark outside, my husband was snoring next to me and I didn't even remember the last time I went pee (which is a feat on it's own because I have a baby always pushing on my bladder)... I couldn't believe I had lost myself so wholly that I didn't even remember my husband coming to bed or that I had lost so much time.
But I also didn't care, I needed to keep reading and finish what I started...
I couldn't put the book down!
The characters, storyline, the way everything was presented and explained...everything about this book just kept me present and not wanting to put it down. Even after I finished reading it, I was left thinking about timelines, books I loved as a kid, what I would do if I met one of my favorite characters.. I was just so lost in this world and I am a little depressed to be done, because I didn't want it to be over!
Heather has an amazing knack for making you travel inside her books and taking you on a journey that you never want to end! The imagery that is produced inside your mind is so refreshing and unique. Her stories may have similar elements to stories past (like the legend of Medusa or Alice in Wonderland) but she puts her own spin on it that makes it completely her own. She isn't retelling old stories, she is creating new ones with new experiences, and new adventures!
Plus, her characters are older so I have more in common with them and it's not kid-like because certain scenes wanted to melt my panties off!! BUT at the same time, this book and her previous works have given me a sense of nostalgia by bringing characters to life that I haven't read about in so long. I wanted to reintroduce myself to the old books I have long since put away because it is like she is continuing their stories by keeping them alive in her own books.
I know I will never be disappointed with anything she writes and she quickly became one of my favorites, go to, must read everything she writes even her grocery list kind of author!! If you haven't read anything by her yet, I HIGHLY URGE you to do so!! You will not be disappointed, I guarantee it!
No surprise, I give this amazing story 5 "I can't wait for more" Stars!!! Oh and even though it is a series, this first book DOES NOT end on a cliffhanger, but you will be salivating for the next book!