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3.17 AVERAGE
3.17 AVERAGE
Okay. So. Usually I'm vehemently against the "not like the other girls" trope in fiction. It comes off as super cliche, not to mention damaging to the idea that "girls" can mean whatever said girls want it to mean. BUT. BUUUUUUT. I think that Eve takes this trope and makes it into something truly upsetting. Whether her intention or not, Eve made the protagonist, River, into a fascinating narrator to follow. I wouldn't say that I "like" River, but I found her intriguing.
The story follows River in her new school and her obsession with the local family "The Graces". She attends school with the three Grace siblings, Fenrin, Thalia and Summer who are rumored to be witches. With a dark past of her own, River is determined to be as close to the Graces as possible. She wants the power they supposedly have and more than that, she wants a place where she belongs.
But River's fascination with the Graces tips steadily into an unhealthy obsession. Her adoration for them stops sounding like harmless hoping and begins to form into the ramblings of a stalker. While some of River's thoughts might have come off as that "not like the other girls" trope, I think Eve does it in such a way that it makes River feel unhinged. This is not a girl who has her life together, and she's trying to fill that empty hole in her life with the Graces. Probably not the best practice for anyone, especially if they end up disappointing her.
The book had a leisurely pace which proved aggravating at times when I just wanted the plot to move forward, but the tone that pace provided really did fit the moody atmosphere that the Graces and River when things were actually moving along. The ending felt abrupt to me, and with everything piling up the way it did it felt a little flat. However it was interesting enough of a hook that I'll be looking out for the sequel.
The story follows River in her new school and her obsession with the local family "The Graces". She attends school with the three Grace siblings, Fenrin, Thalia and Summer who are rumored to be witches. With a dark past of her own, River is determined to be as close to the Graces as possible. She wants the power they supposedly have and more than that, she wants a place where she belongs.
But River's fascination with the Graces tips steadily into an unhealthy obsession. Her adoration for them stops sounding like harmless hoping and begins to form into the ramblings of a stalker. While some of River's thoughts might have come off as that "not like the other girls" trope, I think Eve does it in such a way that it makes River feel unhinged. This is not a girl who has her life together, and she's trying to fill that empty hole in her life with the Graces. Probably not the best practice for anyone, especially if they end up disappointing her.
The book had a leisurely pace which proved aggravating at times when I just wanted the plot to move forward, but the tone that pace provided really did fit the moody atmosphere that the Graces and River when things were actually moving along. The ending felt abrupt to me, and with everything piling up the way it did it felt a little flat. However it was interesting enough of a hook that I'll be looking out for the sequel.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really liked the book, I have been in a reading slump for a month now but this book saved me !! It was such a nice reading and it is perfect for the spooky season.
The story is really interesting and honestly I can't wait to discover what will happen in the second book (that I am going to buy as soon as I finish writing this review hahahah).
The main character, River, was really touching because for me she really is an adolescent looking for love and acceptance from others. She is just scared of her gift and thought the Graces could understand her, but I was really disapointed to see that they didn't even try to understand her... Especially Summer that claimed to like her.
Once again I am really excited to read the second book and I hope it'll answer all the questions that are spinning in my head and that it will be as good as the first one.
The story is really interesting and honestly I can't wait to discover what will happen in the second book (that I am going to buy as soon as I finish writing this review hahahah).
The main character, River, was really touching because for me she really is an adolescent looking for love and acceptance from others. She is just scared of her gift and thought the Graces could understand her, but I was really disapointed to see that they didn't even try to understand her... Especially Summer that claimed to like her.
Once again I am really excited to read the second book and I hope it'll answer all the questions that are spinning in my head and that it will be as good as the first one.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A wonderfully witchy book with a surprising narrator, set in a school where an infamous family live, and River vows to ingratiate herself with them.
An air of mystery surrounds this book all throughout and I found myself wanting to read on because River is a very interesting narrator, with her own motives and secrets, just like the Graces - a family suspected of witchery. It is very character-driven and it's all about the enigmatic narrator in the end, though the focus is on the Graces, River is still very much at the forefront of the story.
I really enjoyed the journey in this book including the ending which I was sort of expecting but also not expecting. It's a refreshingly peculiar read with some attractively secretive characters.
An air of mystery surrounds this book all throughout and I found myself wanting to read on because River is a very interesting narrator, with her own motives and secrets, just like the Graces - a family suspected of witchery. It is very character-driven and it's all about the enigmatic narrator in the end, though the focus is on the Graces, River is still very much at the forefront of the story.
I really enjoyed the journey in this book including the ending which I was sort of expecting but also not expecting. It's a refreshingly peculiar read with some attractively secretive characters.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The main character River was absolutely infuriating and such a hypocritical pick-me girl. The final straw for me that made me DNF was when she said that she didnt want it to seem like she became friends with Summer just to get closer to Fenrin, WHEN THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF WHY SHE WANTED TO GET CLOSER TO THE GRACES. now I understand why this book had a 3.15 star overall rating, the lowest rating I've ever seen/read. 😒😒
I feel like this book tried to be proper eerie, edgy and different... and it just didn’t work. I found River to be highly irritating and I didn’t mesh well with her at all. I think she’s a massive hypocrite and she was barely tolerable. I like how the magic isn’t as elaborate and in your face as opposed to other books that contain magic (that’s because the Graces are pagan witches). The story had promise but in my opinion, the execution didn’t match up. Despite this, I massively enjoyed the relationship between the grace siblings and their dynamics. I absolutely adore Summer; she was the star of the novel.
Perhaps closer to a 3.5 than a 4. This book is flawed, don’t get me wrong — but they’re *interesting* flaws, and I’m always pleasantly surprised when I get a lot more out of something than I’m expecting to. I have a feeling THE GRACES will stick around in my head for a while.
Not my genre of choice but figured since it was approaching Halloween it would help get me in the spirit. Really enjoyed the story and looking forward to the sequel!
There were other things I wanted to read more first! I’ll come back to it.