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kathydavie's review against another edition
3.0
First in The Dark Elite urban-fantasy young adult series set in a contemporary Chicago and based in a girls' boarding school.
The Story
Poor Lily Parker is stuck attending St. Sophia's School for Girls in Chicago. A far cry from her rural upper New York public school! All because her parents got the chance to do philosophical research in Germany for two years. Two years!! Lily just doesn't understand why she couldn't have stayed in Sagamore with her best friend, Ashley, and finish school where all her friends are!
And it's a cold introduction to her new school. The only person who seems interested in being friends is Scout Green. Fortunately, Scout is one of her suitemates but even Scout has her secrets. For just as long as it takes Lily to spy them out anyway. The results are…well, let's just say, it's bittersweet as Lily gets pulled into Scout's nocturnal activities.
The Characters
It's got all the usual. A snotty brat pack and a cold-hearted headmistress. Parents who are hiding some pretty major secrets. The class recluse with a magic touch on the cello. And BFFs with a goth sense of style.
My Take
I will say that I enjoyed this and I would like to read more. It's not a series I would collect—I like her Chicagoland Vampires much better. And primarily that is due to the target audience for this series. Neill does a good job of presenting the characters as teens and I do love the zingers and the slang the kids use. It is obviously centered on her young adult audience with Neill creating teen-to-teen and teen-to-adult interactions very much from a teen perspective. It reads very true in this respect.
I do have to wonder why it's so impossible for Lily to share some pretty obvious issues. Why not ask her parents why Foley seems to have an odd idea of their professional activities? Why not ask Scout the meaning of that new marking on her back? And why does she have to actually consider whether she'd rat her friends out? I wish Neill had created more tension in the "let's rescue Scout" episode. Bit tame, that.
The Title
I suppose the title, Firespell, is appropriate as it is the primary power of one of the characters in the book.
The Story
Poor Lily Parker is stuck attending St. Sophia's School for Girls in Chicago. A far cry from her rural upper New York public school! All because her parents got the chance to do philosophical research in Germany for two years. Two years!! Lily just doesn't understand why she couldn't have stayed in Sagamore with her best friend, Ashley, and finish school where all her friends are!
And it's a cold introduction to her new school. The only person who seems interested in being friends is Scout Green. Fortunately, Scout is one of her suitemates but even Scout has her secrets. For just as long as it takes Lily to spy them out anyway. The results are…well, let's just say, it's bittersweet as Lily gets pulled into Scout's nocturnal activities.
The Characters
It's got all the usual. A snotty brat pack and a cold-hearted headmistress. Parents who are hiding some pretty major secrets. The class recluse with a magic touch on the cello. And BFFs with a goth sense of style.
My Take
I will say that I enjoyed this and I would like to read more. It's not a series I would collect—I like her Chicagoland Vampires much better. And primarily that is due to the target audience for this series. Neill does a good job of presenting the characters as teens and I do love the zingers and the slang the kids use. It is obviously centered on her young adult audience with Neill creating teen-to-teen and teen-to-adult interactions very much from a teen perspective. It reads very true in this respect.
I do have to wonder why it's so impossible for Lily to share some pretty obvious issues. Why not ask her parents why Foley seems to have an odd idea of their professional activities? Why not ask Scout the meaning of that new marking on her back? And why does she have to actually consider whether she'd rat her friends out? I wish Neill had created more tension in the "let's rescue Scout" episode. Bit tame, that.
The Title
I suppose the title, Firespell, is appropriate as it is the primary power of one of the characters in the book.
ingo_lembcke's review against another edition
4.0
More like 3.5 star, rounded to 4.
Nice fluffy read about paranormal life in a Chicago Boarding School.
Lily is feeling like the odd-one-out after being sent by her parents to this fancy, expensive school when her parents take a sabbatical in Germany, for studies of philosophical documents.
The usual snobby group of fashion-cheerleaders-leaders prank her and force her to take sides between them or her newly found friend Scout, one other odd-one-out.
Mild suspense (could have been more), as it develops as nearly expected.
When I read this review I think, 4 stars are not really warranted, I should have round down to 3.
Whatever.
A little romance, but luckily no love-triangle, no sex, no drugs, no insta-love. So, very tame.
Feels a bit like [b:Hex Hall|5287473|Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1)|Rachel Hawkins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1368393885s/5287473.jpg|5354884], and [b:Born at Midnight|8705784|Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls, #1)|C.C. Hunter|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438561542s/8705784.jpg|13578604] - so if you like it, you know what to expect.
Still like it, recommended it, if you like this stuff, and will certainly read the next book in this series.
Nice fluffy read about paranormal life in a Chicago Boarding School.
Lily is feeling like the odd-one-out after being sent by her parents to this fancy, expensive school when her parents take a sabbatical in Germany, for studies of philosophical documents.
The usual snobby group of fashion-cheerleaders-leaders prank her and force her to take sides between them or her newly found friend Scout, one other odd-one-out.
Mild suspense (could have been more), as it develops as nearly expected.
When I read this review I think, 4 stars are not really warranted, I should have round down to 3.
Whatever.
A little romance, but luckily no love-triangle, no sex, no drugs, no insta-love. So, very tame.
Feels a bit like [b:Hex Hall|5287473|Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1)|Rachel Hawkins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1368393885s/5287473.jpg|5354884], and [b:Born at Midnight|8705784|Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls, #1)|C.C. Hunter|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438561542s/8705784.jpg|13578604] - so if you like it, you know what to expect.
Still like it, recommended it, if you like this stuff, and will certainly read the next book in this series.
yodamom's review against another edition
3.0
I read this because I lover her Chicagoland vampire series. This is YA series so I expected some teen anguish, but it felt forced. I think teens deserve more credit than these characters gave them. I did not believe these teen characters, to formulated and predictable. It is a short fast book, perhaps the characters well develop more in the next one ?
halynah's review against another edition
4.0
Rather good beginning of the new series. The author created an unusual paranormal world and interesting characters. I liked Lily, but I was not fond of Scout. The brat pack was funny and there were interesting twists of plot. I enjoyed it!
katyanaish's review against another edition
2.0
I have a love / hate relationship with Chloe Neill.
I love her heroines, and the heroine's best friend. In both her series, that core relationship has been fun, funny, and undeniably real - it is well-drawn and compelling.
I love her world, and the systems of magic that she creates. The details are rich and captivating.
But here's what I hate: in both her series (CLV, which I have quit reading, and this one, which I expect I will also quit), the heroine is a fucking doormat. True to form, in this book, Lily is treated like shit by everyone from her parents to her school to the "good guys" (quotes are because I think the "good guys" are sanctimonious and full of crap). She's manipulated by everyone, and in the end, she just shrugs and does what they want her to do. And this is supposed to be a rebellious teenager! Where is the "Fuck you!" Where is the backbone? The independence? When the Enclave dismisses her - for like the THIRD time - when she is trying to save Scout, why doesn't she tell them all to FUCK OFF, and go save Scout herself? And then come back and throw it in their fucking sanctimonious faces? But no. She's utterly dependent on them, and she's still panting over the boy who has frankly treated her like a doormat all the way through this book.
I can't get into yet another Neill series where the heroine is a fucking passive, weak-willed idiot, content to be the tool of whoever feels like using her today. And it's too bad, because like with CLV, I think this is an intriguing world.
I love her heroines, and the heroine's best friend. In both her series, that core relationship has been fun, funny, and undeniably real - it is well-drawn and compelling.
I love her world, and the systems of magic that she creates. The details are rich and captivating.
But here's what I hate: in both her series (CLV, which I have quit reading, and this one, which I expect I will also quit), the heroine is a fucking doormat. True to form, in this book, Lily is treated like shit by everyone from her parents to her school to the "good guys" (quotes are because I think the "good guys" are sanctimonious and full of crap). She's manipulated by everyone, and in the end, she just shrugs and does what they want her to do. And this is supposed to be a rebellious teenager! Where is the "Fuck you!" Where is the backbone? The independence? When the Enclave dismisses her - for like the THIRD time - when she is trying to save Scout, why doesn't she tell them all to FUCK OFF, and go save Scout herself? And then come back and throw it in their fucking sanctimonious faces? But no. She's utterly dependent on them, and she's still panting over the boy who has frankly treated her like a doormat all the way through this book.
I can't get into yet another Neill series where the heroine is a fucking passive, weak-willed idiot, content to be the tool of whoever feels like using her today. And it's too bad, because like with CLV, I think this is an intriguing world.
missbookiverse's review against another edition
I stopped after 50 pages. I feel like I've gotten too old for these kind of books. The characters are all stereotypes (punky/gothicy best friend, blonde mean girl and her posse) and the wannabe-snarky voice of the heroine annoys me. Also the whole premise seems so unbelievable (parents leaving their 16 year old daughter alone in the States because they'd rather spent time doing studies abroad. And they don't even let her stay in her usual environment, she has to change states to go to a special boarding school).
may012's review against another edition
4.0
Me gusto....pero la sinopsis es un tanto engañosa, por la parte de la sinopsis en la que dice que lily ve cosas extrañas en las sobras y escucha ruidos, se puede llegar a pensar que ocurrirán cosas paranormales y no es así, empecé a leerlo esperando algo paranormal en el plan fantasmas y tal y no ocurre nada relacionado. Pero dejando eso de lado ehh si me gusto podría decirse que fue interesante, continuare con el resto de libros.
audreychamaine's review against another edition
3.0
When Lily Parker finds out that her parents are going to Germany on sabbatical for two years, she's excited. At least, until she learns that it means she will be leaving her public school in upstate New York to go to an intimidating, private all-girl's boarding school in Chicago. There she meets her new bff, Scout, a very rich, yet misfit student, garnering the hatred of a group of popular, mean girls. While this all sounds pretty standard, things take a turn for the strange when it becomes apparent that Scout is involved in some strange fight against monsters under the streets of Chicago. Lily is inevitably pulled into this struggle, setting up further books in the series.
Firespell doesn't really do anything new, by placing a normal girl into a school where things are not what they seem, and thus exposing her extraordinary hidden abilities. For what it is, this is a good, fun, quick read. There is an X-men quality to the characters' abilities, and potential for some good character development. Neill has also baited the reader with a mysterious sub-plot involving Lily's parents, so it will be nice to see how that develops later in the series. Overall, Firespell was a solid, if not overwhelmingly awesome, book and I look forward to reading more.
Firespell doesn't really do anything new, by placing a normal girl into a school where things are not what they seem, and thus exposing her extraordinary hidden abilities. For what it is, this is a good, fun, quick read. There is an X-men quality to the characters' abilities, and potential for some good character development. Neill has also baited the reader with a mysterious sub-plot involving Lily's parents, so it will be nice to see how that develops later in the series. Overall, Firespell was a solid, if not overwhelmingly awesome, book and I look forward to reading more.
friendlyghosty's review against another edition
2.0
Firespell is different. Not part of the cookiecutter trend of vampires and werewolf stories that seem to infiltrate every story. (not that that's bad...but this book just stands out) While it does have a werewolf in it, you dont get the same vibe off him. I really found myself rooting for Scout and Lily. Great, great characters.
The relationship between Lily and Jason often confused me though. it was interesting and unusual, but it kind of just hits you in the face with its suddenness. On the other hand, Scout and Michael's i feel was MUCH more complicated and deeper. i often wanted the story to be in Scout's point of view instead. all the action happened to her. Im just kind of tired of clueless characters, you know?? The day-to-day life was a little much though. i understand she was at a new school and maybe the author was trying to help us have the experience with Lily, but it got a bit repetitive.
Anyway, completely original, this story caught my attention immediately. I read it in barely two days, and that was only because i fell asleep while reading it. I am so pumped to getting the second one, HEXBOUND, but that comes out in 2011. sigh. I have no doubt it will be worth the wait because the author has set up a fantastic dark world with many secrets and prosed questions i feel will be answered later!!!
The relationship between Lily and Jason often confused me though. it was interesting and unusual, but it kind of just hits you in the face with its suddenness. On the other hand, Scout and Michael's i feel was MUCH more complicated and deeper. i often wanted the story to be in Scout's point of view instead. all the action happened to her. Im just kind of tired of clueless characters, you know?? The day-to-day life was a little much though. i understand she was at a new school and maybe the author was trying to help us have the experience with Lily, but it got a bit repetitive.
Anyway, completely original, this story caught my attention immediately. I read it in barely two days, and that was only because i fell asleep while reading it. I am so pumped to getting the second one, HEXBOUND, but that comes out in 2011. sigh. I have no doubt it will be worth the wait because the author has set up a fantastic dark world with many secrets and prosed questions i feel will be answered later!!!