Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Ohhhh my heart! This book! What a beautiful roller coaster ride this was. Milena McKay has written a new favorite of mine, and Juliette and Katarina will live rent-free in my head forever now. šš
I absolutely adored the leading ladies. Juliette is a fiery marvel of a woman with a protective streak that left me weak in the knees. It was a pleasure to read this story through her POV. And Katarinaā¦oh my god, I think Katarina broke my brain. She starts off the book being mostly silent (though even her silences are powerful). But when she spills her heart and we finally learn whatās going on in that beautiful mind? Letās just say Iām glad I read <i>those</i> passages sitting down, because if Iād been standing up, I may have just face-planted onto the floor!
Also, this book has one of my favorite first kiss/first acknowledgement scenes of all time. Possibly my favorite EVER, but that just could be the recency bias talking. Either way, it was fucking exquisite and Iāll be revisiting it frequently in the near future. šµš„šš
Juliette and Katarina are put through SO much within these pages, and by the end, both have been tortured relentlessly. God, it hurt, but it soothes me to know that they have each other. Their love is so deep, so powerful, so mind-alteringā¦ugh. I physically clutched my chest several times, and if I were a book-crier, Iād be a blubbering mess about these two!
Honestly, I didnāt always vibe with the writing in this book. Several times, I was confused and had to reread what Iād just read (though maybe thatās just a me thing š¤·š¼āāļø). Some characters (especially Katarina) had an uncanny habit of showing up at just the right time to perfectly contribute to the conversation. Imo, there was an overuse of the word ātheā instead of possessive adjectives. The book kinda dragged for me somewhere around the 25ish percent mark, and I tbh didnāt give a hoot about Julietteās exā¦I just wanted her to go away most of the time. š¤£ HOWEVERā¦the good in this book completely annihilates all these minor complaints for me, so, yeah. Still five stars!
Maybe itās finally time for me to devour Milena McKayās backlist! Or maybe I should just marinate in this book hangover for a little while longerā¦š„¹
I absolutely adored the leading ladies. Juliette is a fiery marvel of a woman with a protective streak that left me weak in the knees. It was a pleasure to read this story through her POV. And Katarinaā¦oh my god, I think Katarina broke my brain. She starts off the book being mostly silent (though even her silences are powerful). But when she spills her heart and we finally learn whatās going on in that beautiful mind? Letās just say Iām glad I read <i>those</i> passages sitting down, because if Iād been standing up, I may have just face-planted onto the floor!
Also, this book has one of my favorite first kiss/first acknowledgement scenes of all time. Possibly my favorite EVER, but that just could be the recency bias talking. Either way, it was fucking exquisite and Iāll be revisiting it frequently in the near future. šµš„šš
Juliette and Katarina are put through SO much within these pages, and by the end, both have been tortured relentlessly. God, it hurt, but it soothes me to know that they have each other. Their love is so deep, so powerful, so mind-alteringā¦ugh. I physically clutched my chest several times, and if I were a book-crier, Iād be a blubbering mess about these two!
Honestly, I didnāt always vibe with the writing in this book. Several times, I was confused and had to reread what Iād just read (though maybe thatās just a me thing š¤·š¼āāļø). Some characters (especially Katarina) had an uncanny habit of showing up at just the right time to perfectly contribute to the conversation. Imo, there was an overuse of the word ātheā instead of possessive adjectives. The book kinda dragged for me somewhere around the 25ish percent mark, and I tbh didnāt give a hoot about Julietteās exā¦I just wanted her to go away most of the time. š¤£ HOWEVERā¦the good in this book completely annihilates all these minor complaints for me, so, yeah. Still five stars!
Maybe itās finally time for me to devour Milena McKayās backlist! Or maybe I should just marinate in this book hangover for a little while longerā¦š„¹
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-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:
No
Original Review: 11/23/2024
I may never stop thinking about this one, holy shit.
I may never stop thinking about this one, holy shit.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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:
No
Loved my the girls. Was sometimes slow but really picked up at the end.
The writing style wasn't working for me. I was confused about who the protagonist was was and what the frilly heck was going on.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
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:
No
Honestly, I knew I was done for by page 12.
It took me a while to get to this one. Sometimes I need a break from angst, and I avoid books that contain a wealth of it. So even though this one has been in my library for months, Iām only just reading it. And from the very beginning you are pulled in.
The tension between Juliette and Katarina... Like twisting a wire tighter and tighter, so taut that it sings if you so much as touch it, until finally it snaps with explosive force. And when it does your thoughts echo Julietteās āFucking finally.ā But even in the midst of their joy, you are aware of the foreshadowing of Gabeās illness and, given the setting of this novel and his sexuality, what it might mean. Add in the fact that there is still the looming presence of Lalande and half the book to go and you know youād better buckle up.
I know almost nothing about ballet, but you donāt need to in order to enjoy this book, because ultimately the story is about the dancers and not the dance. You donāt have to have been in Paris in the 80s, or remember the first years of the AIDS epidemic, to relate to these characters. I was a child of the Cold War, growing up in Europe, and I still remember the menace of the Stasi, and how the very air of East Germany felt different to breath. Echoes of that are in Reverence, but you donāt have to have experienced any of it to understand it, because McKay manages to breathe it into Katarinaās memory and her terror, Gabeās fear and sense of betrayal, and Julietteās desolation.
Reverence is an emotional wringer, but you cannot put it down. It takes your breath away from virtually the first page, and when you finish it you are left strangely empty. If you read the Afterword, you find that Reverence is a memorial, of sorts. A very effective and moving one, in my opinion. But it lingers in your thoughts long after youāve finished it for what it reminds you of the past, and for where we are in the present. I know already that this is a book I will return to often.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes