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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
What to say about this book? I go back and forth about whether or not I liked it but cant definitively decide.
I enjoyed the ending more than the beginning, and getting there was a bit of a struggle. It wasn't until I figured out the connections of the characters that the story really gained my interest.
I liked the relationships everyone shared and that their was diversity there. But there were so many characters and the shifting POVs, which I generally dislike as a stylistic choice, muddled the progress of the plot and made things confusing as the girls voices sounded the same.
Parts were creepy/spooky but I don't know that I was ever sold on the 'magic' of it all. A little like Olive. In reality, it was an okay boom with an okay 'mystery' and okay writing.
I enjoyed the ending more than the beginning, and getting there was a bit of a struggle. It wasn't until I figured out the connections of the characters that the story really gained my interest.
I liked the relationships everyone shared and that their was diversity there. But there were so many characters and the shifting POVs, which I generally dislike as a stylistic choice, muddled the progress of the plot and made things confusing as the girls voices sounded the same.
Parts were creepy/spooky but I don't know that I was ever sold on the 'magic' of it all. A little like Olive. In reality, it was an okay boom with an okay 'mystery' and okay writing.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is an interesting book. I really was wrapped up in the atmosphere and the mystery of the magic. It took a little while to sink into because there were 3 POVs, but several more characters involved.
I'm between a 3.5 and a 4 on this one, mostly because I sort of wavered in interest a little in the middle. That being said, the LGBTQ+ perspectives in this one are great in that they are normalized. There are also honest and non-shy portrayals of relationships and sex (both male/female and female/female) that I think older teens will appreciate.
The way things were written definitely lured me in and kept me there. Though it left me with a feeling of unease, however, because I wonder if there is a mental issue with one of the characters that was unresolved or I may have missed. At it's heart, it's a story of magic and spells, family and love, and what we would lose to keep what we don't want lost.
I'm between a 3.5 and a 4 on this one, mostly because I sort of wavered in interest a little in the middle. That being said, the LGBTQ+ perspectives in this one are great in that they are normalized. There are also honest and non-shy portrayals of relationships and sex (both male/female and female/female) that I think older teens will appreciate.
The way things were written definitely lured me in and kept me there. Though it left me with a feeling of unease, however, because I wonder if there is a mental issue with one of the characters that was unresolved or I may have missed. At it's heart, it's a story of magic and spells, family and love, and what we would lose to keep what we don't want lost.
I really enjoyed this book. It is YA and there were parts that I felt would probably appeal a lot more to a teenager than to a 40 something year old BUT it was exciting, fast paced with lots of twists and turns. And when I came to the end I really didn't want to leave the charectures. I thoroughly recommend .
Eerie, unsettling, and a new, more sinister kind of magic than anything else in YA.
Certainly an interesting read with great LGBTQ and ethnic representation, but Spellbook of the Lost and Found wasn't amazing. Simplistic writing, yet the imagery coarsing throughout was especially beautiful, and I loved the references to classics and older literature.
However, this wasn't without flaws. The consistent pattern of naming virtually all the characters after trees and plants took away from the story. It's a minor thing, but it just seems a bit juvenile to name a cast of 8 main characters with the nature-based names in the same damn book. The major initial twist in the book threw me off entirely and was brilliant, but I feel like all the other twists that followed were meant to be taken the same way and yet were easily predictable. Nevertheless, a great read.
Certainly an interesting read with great LGBTQ and ethnic representation, but Spellbook of the Lost and Found wasn't amazing. Simplistic writing, yet the imagery coarsing throughout was especially beautiful, and I loved the references to classics and older literature.
However, this wasn't without flaws. The consistent pattern of naming virtually all the characters after trees and plants took away from the story. It's a minor thing, but it just seems a bit juvenile to name a cast of 8 main characters with the nature-based names in the same damn book. The major initial twist in the book threw me off entirely and was brilliant, but I feel like all the other twists that followed were meant to be taken the same way and yet were easily predictable. Nevertheless, a great read.
Maybe I was a LIL harsh with that one star rating, so we’ll bring it to two but don’t put ideas in your head that I’m a reasonable level headed person because you got me all wrong buddy.
Days after finishing this book, all I can think about is how did this book get pitched? Like did Fowley-Doyle go up and be like “hey I want to write a book about these girls who lose some shit but there’s this book that like can bring specific shit back but there parents are also involved... but wait everyone’s losing shit it’s just a shit storm but no one knows why??”, and the book agent is like “OK, whatever just get out of my office.”, and that’s how this travesty of a book made its way into my lap.
OK, maybe that’s an overstatement, but for all the whimsical-ness this book could’ve possessed its ridiculous how boring and mundane it is. Like it could’ve genuinely been this creepy book that made you shiver with its supernatural presence, and that’s unfortunately really NOT what happened. It was a bunch of boring info-dumpy conversations that made the plot 100x more confusing and stupidly dramatic and not going to lie, I kind of blanked out halfway through.
Also side note: my enjoyment was definitely infringed in the audiobook accents in this book. I love Scottish/Irish people but reading a book from an accent I can already barely understand was not that amazing. I’m aware this should’ve been something i knew beforehand, but just a little heads up if that’s something that may bother you!!
Bottom line: a low rating for a low amount of supernatural fun
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if you want a book with one dimensional characters, badly explained magic, overall lack of intensity and some disappointment oh do I have a book for you! // review to come
Days after finishing this book, all I can think about is how did this book get pitched? Like did Fowley-Doyle go up and be like “hey I want to write a book about these girls who lose some shit but there’s this book that like can bring specific shit back but there parents are also involved... but wait everyone’s losing shit it’s just a shit storm but no one knows why??”, and the book agent is like “OK, whatever just get out of my office.”, and that’s how this travesty of a book made its way into my lap.
OK, maybe that’s an overstatement, but for all the whimsical-ness this book could’ve possessed its ridiculous how boring and mundane it is. Like it could’ve genuinely been this creepy book that made you shiver with its supernatural presence, and that’s unfortunately really NOT what happened. It was a bunch of boring info-dumpy conversations that made the plot 100x more confusing and stupidly dramatic and not going to lie, I kind of blanked out halfway through.
Also side note: my enjoyment was definitely infringed in the audiobook accents in this book. I love Scottish/Irish people but reading a book from an accent I can already barely understand was not that amazing. I’m aware this should’ve been something i knew beforehand, but just a little heads up if that’s something that may bother you!!
Bottom line: a low rating for a low amount of supernatural fun
———————————————————————————
if you want a book with one dimensional characters, badly explained magic, overall lack of intensity and some disappointment oh do I have a book for you! // review to come