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faythfarrar's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
brynleigh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Blood, Body horror, and Bullying
vj_thompson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Solid start to the series. The writing is BEAUTIFUL and magical. The beginning scene about the bell being described with humanistic concerns is a good example. The ending was a lot to process. Wow wow wow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Emotional abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Torture, Alcohol, and Confinement
tays_books's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Violence, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse and Confinement
yananhai's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
this was PERFECT!
I honestly didn't think I would enjoy this book that much, but the whole banter between Evangeline and Jacks had me giggling 🤭
I honestly didn't think I would enjoy this book that much, but the whole banter between Evangeline and Jacks had me giggling 🤭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
kenzaett's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
"Heroes don't get happy endings."
"People called it falling out of love, but falling was easy. Letting go of Luc had been more like climbing the face of a rock. She'd clawed her way out, fighting to shake it off, to let it go, to find something else to hold on to."
"but in every telling of the tale, they fell in love."
"She wasn't making loving choices, she was making compromising choices because she wanted love. Luc wasn't her weakness - love was. Not even just love but the idea of it."
"until I collect it, you're mine, and I do not like to share."
"She didn't make being alone seem lonely as Evangeline had always feared. She made it seem like an adventure, as if every moment were the start of a story with endless possibilities."
So. I gave Stephanie Garber another try after not enjoying the Caraval series. Much to the pressure my friend put on me by gifting me a copy of this and claiming it's much better than Caraval and not necessarily connected - and that the second book is better than the first. I wasn't hooked from the beginning - it was a tad to sweet, too romantic, too whimsical for me. I like a bigger share of action and drama, and less love. But what do you expect from the title. I love the magical, beautiful winter-y universe (though I'd like more lore and world building, alas we're only on book one and I didn't finish the Caraval 3 so that's on me), and the plot was specked with surprises and turns. I'm still unsure how I feel about Jack's. And it's rare that I don't have a favorite character, because some are just too bland for me. Maybe it's LaLa. But her name annoys me. Or the Fortuna's dogs. Agh.
Definitely a few points for absolutely beautiful writing,especially analogies (his lips curved like a crescent blade, she looked like a statue come to life, he looked at her the way that E imagined portraits stared at people when their backs were turned) - damn. I always felt like I was looking into Eve's head, which is a difficult task for third person narration in itself!
I've got a number of wonderfully eloquent quotes I'm saving after this book... Extra star for that!
It's a 3.75 or maybe 4.0 for me, and I'm hoping to give the next part a 4.5! There's definitely more to come and I like how the pace picked up at the end.
"People called it falling out of love, but falling was easy. Letting go of Luc had been more like climbing the face of a rock. She'd clawed her way out, fighting to shake it off, to let it go, to find something else to hold on to."
"but in every telling of the tale, they fell in love."
"She wasn't making loving choices, she was making compromising choices because she wanted love. Luc wasn't her weakness - love was. Not even just love but the idea of it."
"until I collect it, you're mine, and I do not like to share."
"She didn't make being alone seem lonely as Evangeline had always feared. She made it seem like an adventure, as if every moment were the start of a story with endless possibilities."
So. I gave Stephanie Garber another try after not enjoying the Caraval series. Much to the pressure my friend put on me by gifting me a copy of this and claiming it's much better than Caraval and not necessarily connected - and that the second book is better than the first. I wasn't hooked from the beginning - it was a tad to sweet, too romantic, too whimsical for me. I like a bigger share of action and drama, and less love. But what do you expect from the title. I love the magical, beautiful winter-y universe (though I'd like more lore and world building, alas we're only on book one and I didn't finish the Caraval 3 so that's on me), and the plot was specked with surprises and turns. I'm still unsure how I feel about Jack's. And it's rare that I don't have a favorite character, because some are just too bland for me. Maybe it's LaLa. But her name annoys me. Or the Fortuna's dogs. Agh.
Definitely a few points for absolutely beautiful writing,especially analogies (his lips curved like a crescent blade, she looked like a statue come to life, he looked at her the way that E imagined portraits stared at people when their backs were turned) - damn. I always felt like I was looking into Eve's head, which is a difficult task for third person narration in itself!
I've got a number of wonderfully eloquent quotes I'm saving after this book... Extra star for that!
It's a 3.75 or maybe 4.0 for me, and I'm hoping to give the next part a 4.5! There's definitely more to come and I like how the pace picked up at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Abandonment, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Death of parent
tarnaflake's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder
midgereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Fans of Howl’s Moving Castle, get this book immediately.
I had heard so many good reviews and they were all correct. I love Jacks, I love Evangeline, and I can’t wait to see their story unfold in the next book. Also, if you like Ghibli movies, this book is for you. Evangeline feels very much like a Ghibli protagonist: she is good, kind, resourceful, imaginative, and funny. What convinced me to read this book was that someone compared it to Howl’s Moving Castle and they were right in so many ways. Somehow the aesthetic also reminded me of the early Barbie movies, which is a plus.
I had heard so many good reviews and they were all correct. I love Jacks, I love Evangeline, and I can’t wait to see their story unfold in the next book. Also, if you like Ghibli movies, this book is for you. Evangeline feels very much like a Ghibli protagonist: she is good, kind, resourceful, imaginative, and funny. What convinced me to read this book was that someone compared it to Howl’s Moving Castle and they were right in so many ways. Somehow the aesthetic also reminded me of the early Barbie movies, which is a plus.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
britwalsh16's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wait… that’s it? My exact thought when I finished this book. Usually I’m keeping track of & keep looking at the time I have left in a book when I’m on my kindle. But this book… it got to a point where I just forgot to look… and when I turned the last page I was like wait what?
I love me a morally grey villain, but jacks is something else, & I am here for it! Marisol annoys me, but Evangeline is *chefs kiss*, just amazing! I can’t believe it took me this long to read this book! But also I’m glad cause I won’t have to wait long to read the 3rd book. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to start the 2nd book now. 😁
I love me a morally grey villain, but jacks is something else, & I am here for it! Marisol annoys me, but Evangeline is *chefs kiss*, just amazing! I can’t believe it took me this long to read this book! But also I’m glad cause I won’t have to wait long to read the 3rd book. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to start the 2nd book now. 😁
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Torture and Gaslighting
Minor: Confinement and Stalking
jessicaludden's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“All stories are made of both truths and lies, [...] What matters is the way that we believe them.”
Absolutely loved it. I love the dynamic between Jacks and Evangeline. How she can be so naive but still keep Jacks on his toes. I really liked the mystery aspect of this story and I’m excited to read the sequel.
Absolutely loved it. I love the dynamic between Jacks and Evangeline. How she can be so naive but still keep Jacks on his toes. I really liked the mystery aspect of this story and I’m excited to read the sequel.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Murder, Blood, and Death