Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
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
———————————————————————————
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
mysterious
medium-paced
*4.25
I went into this not knowing much accept that it's set in Ireland and starts with the aftermath of a party. We follow three sets of characters of which are all connected to the story in some way. This is my first Fowley-Doyle book I've read and I really enjoyed her writing and was pleasantly surprised with how easily it flowed.
It starts off as an innocent spell to try and find lost diaries/lost items after the party, and soon it's discovered that in order to find these items, several other items get 'lost', and this also includes people as well which continued to be a bit of a mystery. You can tell the teens we follow are quite troubled, as we see a lot of alcoholism, implied sexual abuse, and also parental issues. All the characters were broken in their own little way, and come to terms with this during the plots development.
I loved the representation of the book, Olive (POV) and Rose are bisexual, and Hazel (POV) is lesbian and as you can probably tell, there is a f/f relationship which I loved. Also we learn that Rose is possibly mixed-race, as there were racist comments made about her ("Pocahontas"); and Olive (POV) is also deaf in one ear as the use of her hearing aid was used a lot throughout. Even though some of the romantic interests were predictable, they weren't in any way tropy; one character is known for falling in love too easily, which can be linked to her relationship with her parents (which really didn't go well!).
And Mags, in my opinion, was the unsung-hero of the book, always there in the times of need. She's not as physically present as the group of teenagers, but she's still 'there' and mentioned a lot. "How old is Mags Maguire and how long has she had that pub?" " I would've loved to have more depth into her character as she was incredibly intriguing, and I don't think we got enough of her! A whole novel into her past and development would be perfect!
The plot itself developed so well, and the author also left 'breadcrumbs' throughout the book, which all click together when you're near the end. Some of them I felt I should've picked up on because they seemed so simple in retrospect, and discovering the end plot twist was fabulous! I was kicking myself for not having any inkling for it during the book! I have honestly developed more of a love for magical realism and the 'gray-area' between real-life and magic, it also had a creepy vibe to it which was very fitting for October!
I went into this not knowing much accept that it's set in Ireland and starts with the aftermath of a party. We follow three sets of characters of which are all connected to the story in some way. This is my first Fowley-Doyle book I've read and I really enjoyed her writing and was pleasantly surprised with how easily it flowed.
It starts off as an innocent spell to try and find lost diaries/lost items after the party, and soon it's discovered that in order to find these items, several other items get 'lost', and this also includes people as well which continued to be a bit of a mystery. You can tell the teens we follow are quite troubled, as we see a lot of alcoholism, implied sexual abuse, and also parental issues. All the characters were broken in their own little way, and come to terms with this during the plots development.
I loved the representation of the book, Olive (POV) and Rose are bisexual, and Hazel (POV) is lesbian and as you can probably tell, there is a f/f relationship which I loved. Also we learn that Rose is possibly mixed-race, as there were racist comments made about her ("Pocahontas"); and Olive (POV) is also deaf in one ear as the use of her hearing aid was used a lot throughout. Even though some of the romantic interests were predictable, they weren't in any way tropy; one character is known for falling in love too easily, which can be linked to her relationship with her parents (which really didn't go well!).
And Mags, in my opinion, was the unsung-hero of the book, always there in the times of need. She's not as physically present as the group of teenagers, but she's still 'there' and mentioned a lot. "How old is Mags Maguire and how long has she had that pub?" " I would've loved to have more depth into her character as she was incredibly intriguing, and I don't think we got enough of her! A whole novel into her past and development would be perfect!
The plot itself developed so well, and the author also left 'breadcrumbs' throughout the book, which all click together when you're near the end. Some of them I felt I should've picked up on because they seemed so simple in retrospect, and discovering the end plot twist was fabulous! I was kicking myself for not having any inkling for it during the book! I have honestly developed more of a love for magical realism and the 'gray-area' between real-life and magic, it also had a creepy vibe to it which was very fitting for October!
i have so many feelings about this book and yet i can't articulate a single one besides: uhhhhhhhhh and i'm bouncing between a 3 star and a 2 star rating so i'm just gonna leave it a 3 because it feels solid enough
i do think the fact that there are several semi-detailed sex scenes impacted my rating because, as an adult, i really hate when they're depicted in ya - it's weird for me to read adults writing minors like that when it all could have been fade to black
this entire book is purposely convoluted which i'm here for but i don't know, it was still missing something and i found myself rushing through it just because i wanted to be done with it
i do think the fact that there are several semi-detailed sex scenes impacted my rating because, as an adult, i really hate when they're depicted in ya - it's weird for me to read adults writing minors like that when it all could have been fade to black
this entire book is purposely convoluted which i'm here for but i don't know, it was still missing something and i found myself rushing through it just because i wanted to be done with it
I like the premise a lot but I figured out the twist right off the bat, and it was pretty boring throughout, even the parts that were supposed to be creepy. Also, all the characters have plant names and when it kept jumping perspectives, it made it difficult to keep track. "Wait, was Hazel the one did that, or was it Holly? Is Ivy the best friend, or is Rose?" That kind of thing.
dark
emotional
mysterious
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
SO GOOD. just when i thought i knew what was going on the book threw in another detail that made me go “hey now wait a minute” and reconsider everything i thought. my only issue with this book is that i wish it was longer so i could have spent more time with the characters. i also feel like a few things were left unexplained, like mags (or i just missed them, knowing me)
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The narrative POV voices are exactly the same - if it didn't say the character name at the top of the page, I wouldn't know who's POV a given chapter was from. I think this takes place in Ireland but you wouldn't much know it from reading the book. A lot of a lot of romances and longing glances; I need a venn diagram to keep track of all the overlapping crushes. The twist was obvious from page one. Points off for directly spelling out the thesis of the book in a hokey, overly sentimental, Hallmark movie way at the end.
Some of the darker magical realism elements are atmospheric and cool. Still, overall pretty average YA fare.
Some of the darker magical realism elements are atmospheric and cool. Still, overall pretty average YA fare.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual content, Blood, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Dementia