Reviews

This one is kind of all over the place. For every thing I liked, there was a parallel thing I didn't like. I dug two of the bold plot choices, the first being Lena's crazy plan to poison everyone at the party. I mean, that's fucking wild and I love it. But I don't think Lena's motive for murder was very strong. She had strained relationships with her parents and was dismayed at being called home from her dreamy European life with her aunt, so why was she so hell-bent on getting revenge? Seemed a bit forced, but honestly, whatever, I'll accept it, because fuck the rich, right? I can get behind a crazy heroine doing cool shit. BUT Lena was so... idk, dumb everywhere else? Why is her solution to see if Jonathan's pills are poison to TAKE THEM? Why is she so reluctant to believe Jonathan is being poisoned?

I also wasn't a fan of the writing style. It wasn't just too sweet and romantic for me, there were issues with telling over showing, issues with spelling out emotions through dialogue, and there were plot holes.

I really liked Lena's relationship with Jonathan and Jonathan's whole character arc. Enemies to friends is one of my favorite tropes, and it was pretty well done considering Lena's character wasn't as consistent as she should have been. The other bold plot choice I liked was Jonathan's ending, because I support death with dignity, and it is very nice to see that represented so compassionately. But contrast that with Lena's relationship with Audrey, and I'm back to not trusting the skill of the author. It makes zero sense to me why Audrey gets a pass from Lena, when she's just as much of a rich asshole as her family. I didn't get any chemistry from them. And I don't like Audrey as a person. She doesn't just get a pass she gets the MC crushing hard on her. She was spineless and let her mother make an evil puppet of her. But I guess she's hot so...

Overall I guess I didn't like it, and that's a real bummer. I love the gothic genre, it is my favorite genre, but it's always sad when a book doesn't live up to your expectations, especially when those expectations were already pretty low.

danieshokoohi's review against another edition

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5.0

Tripping Arcadia was recommended to me by a really cool book seller at Porter Square Books in Cambridge after I mentioned how much I loved A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson (Mayquist's partner). I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I read Tripping Arcadia from start to finish in one sitting. I couldn't get enough of the world of Lena and the Verdeaus. It almost feels too complicated to simplify the book down to a few small themes for fear of minimizing it, but I loved the way that Mayquist uses language to buoy the reader and his characterizing details of Audrey, Jonathon, and Lena were actually just exquisite. Would highly recommend this book.

keelin's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ozziemarie's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5/4 ? could’ve been shorter but it was still good!

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