Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - Any Way the Wind Blows

Of all the books in the trilogy, this one felt the most fanfic-y, I thought the character's plot lines would converge more organically but everyone's pretty much doing their thing. It was a bit frustrating that after so many chapters setting things up, the ending is like ten minutes long and some things don't even get explained/solved.

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this_momma_is_booked's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny 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? It's complicated

4.5

I am a Simon Snow STAN. I have loved these books for years and I was so happy to finally be able to have the headspace necessary to read what is supposed to be the final book in the series (I'm still holding out hope Rainbow can't contain herself and writes another one in a couple years!).

I love these characters, the banter, the hijinks. I love that this is the story of what happens after you save the world because we don't often get that story. These are young adults who are figuring out what they want out of life, out of their relationships, what they do out of expectation vs. actual desire. They're falling love, making mistakes, learning lessons, and trying to enjoy life through it all.

Also, Baz is the true king of this story. Thank you.

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rwalker101's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

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

3.0

This series has well-known roots in fanfiction. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I liked the first book quite a bit, on fact. But there were times in this book where it seemed as though I was reading fanfic of the author's own IP. Some of this was the good fanfiction, where everything was tied up in a bow and satisfactorily handled. Other times it was the bad kind of fanfiction, the kind that is only a pale, stale imitation of something better. Only this is a poor imitation of itself, which is worse somehow.

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claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Simon, Baz, Agatha, Penelope, and Miles are back from America, but as usual, things aren’t exactly going smoothly. Miles is still under a curse that Penelope is determined to break, Simon and Baz (but mostly Simon) are still having problems communicating about their feelings for each other, and now there are people claiming to be the true Chosen One.

I’ll be honest, couldn’t tell you exactly what the plot of this book was. The focus was very much on the characters’ interpersonal relationships, especially Simon and Baz’s, and how they worked through their trauma and past miscommunications together. That is not a criticism at all; I absolutely loved it. Rowell has a way of writing certain scenes and feelings that hit me like a punch to the stomach because it feels like someone has reached into my brain and written down thoughts I couldn’t have even put into words. That’s how I felt reading a lot of the Simon-and-Baz scenes, but also some of the interactions between Agatha and Niamh.

It made so much sense to me that Agatha realized she might like women. She was so closed off in the other books, even to Simon, her supposed great love. I loved seeing her find her path within the magical world and realize that she can fit in, even though it’s not in the way she always thought. I also love that she took over the lesbian goatherd position at Watford! ;)

Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe of the ending):

Happy! Rowell wrapped everything up pretty nicely...and I almost wish she hadn’t, so we could have another book!

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