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hannahs_library__'s review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Murder, Death, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Violence, Physical abuse, Bullying, and Fire/Fire injury
lifeonasofa's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Bullying, Gaslighting, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Blood, Car accident, Cursing, Gore, Grief, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Death, Abandonment, and Alcohol
magicalmegija's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Sexism, Toxic friendship, Murder, Misogyny, Bullying, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Death of parent
cakeboxing's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS AT THE END
I went into The Awakening with high hopes. It had been hyped up a lot online.
The premise is fantastic and had me excited from the start. Who wouldn't want to read an adult Harry Potter mixed with Avatar the Last Airbender mixed with Acotar?
The character and world building could use a lot of work. Also, there are waaaayyyyy too many direct references to outside works (Harry Potter, Downton Abbey, I think even Star Trek at one point?). It's not a subtle thing, they are literally referenced by publication name. Just a bit cringey in my opinion, but it was easy enough to dismiss.
One of the big things that made this a one off read instead of gunning for the whole series is that THIS BOOK NEEDS AN EDITOR. Seriously, it's like there wasn't anyone going over this book at all. So many grammatical, punctuation, tense, or even just spelling mistakes!! There was at least four alone in the first chapter!
Most of it I was able to brush off, little things I totally understand and I would have been willing to ignore for the sake of the plot. However, when I encounter several within a few sentences of each other it drives me insane. And that happened many many times throughout the book.
Things really started to fall apart for me at the 80% mark. I pushed through and finished it because of the sunk-cost fallacy, but I probably should have dnf'd this book.
As far as the plot goes, the whole book takes place over the span of like 3 weeks, and it's mostly focused on the drama and bullying between students instead of the actual learning, so if you're looking for something along the lines of adult Harry Potter (as it was marketed), you might want to look elsewhere.
- - - - - - - SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT - - - - - - -
A huge part of the premise is that the twins need to be able to pass The Reckoning at the end of the term or school year or something. We don't find out anything about it except that it's really difficult and super incredibly important that they pass. Everything in this book feels like it's leading up to The Reckoning, but then the book ends after an altercation and betrayal that happens during a school dance that is - surprise! - still at the beginning of the school year. Turns out that The Reckoning doesn't happen until book 3!
Foreshadowing doesn't really exist in this book, at least in a way that makes sense. The authors decided to hold the reader's hand from beginning to end, and there is hardly any, if any at all, 'showing' instead of 'telling'.
Now for the main complaint. I didn't see anywhere (on descriptions, reviews, tiktoks, nothing) any kind of trigger warning or content warnings. THIS BOOK IS FULL OF NON-CONSENSUAL ACTS. I am not one to shame others for their preferences, so if you like this kind of stuff be my guest. We all have our own tastes. I definitely should not have read this book for personal reasons, my mental health definitely took a hit.
It was especially gross when a vampire teacher figure is feeding off of one of the main characters who is a student, and the vampires get to 'claim' their sources for energy, which is also very gross. There's also non-consensual touching (non-sexual) on like every other page.
I do have to hand it to the main characters for not being comfortable with any of this stuff and actually standing their ground. But how many times do they have to say they don't consent to something for the supposed love interests to stop what they're doing??? Almost every single time, the boys end up overpowering the girls to do what they want (feeding, taking energy/magic, etc), until the girls are strong enough to make them stop. So I waited this whole book for a badass boss bitch moment and it never happened.
And we all know that the boys are supposed to get their redemption arcs and whatever as is par for the trope, but I just can't see how they can be redeemed after literally trying to murder one of the twins??!?
I will not be continuing this series.
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Sexism
lestie4short's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity, Vomit, War, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Torture
autumnreads98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Violence, Bullying, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death
hannalizzy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
First, the amount of grammatical errors and typos is astronomical. I don’t think the authors hired an editor at all, honestly. I was constantly cringing at how awkwardly phased everything was and how unnatural the story progression felt.
Second, the main girls are young, and they are being constantly sexually harassed, in public AND BY TEACHERS, and NO ONE AROUND THEM CARES? They’re just told that “that’s how things are in Solaria” and they better get used to it. Consent? Never heard of her.
The worst part about reading this book (besides actually finishing it) was the overwhelming feeling of profound disappointment I felt at such a cool story idea being mishandled beyond belief. I’m interested in the concept of Solaria, but that is it. The characters were shallow and completely stupid. The whole thing felt like a wattpad fantasy.
To the person who told me this book would be like adult Harry Potter, I’m never forgiving you.
Graphic: Stalking, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Bullying, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship
alexleigh20's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Classism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Torture, and Toxic friendship
_savannahreads_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence
binzpr's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence