Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The ending felt a bit rushed but this was such an enjoyable and quick read and it felt really satisfying the whole way through
the ending felt a little preach-y, probably just to me though. love spring awakening retelling with canon gay moritz
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Edit: I changed my rating to 4 stars! This book has been on my mind for a while, it’s been fun to on-and-off psychoanalyze Mason and Isa. With that said, my critiques and understanding of the mixed reception this book received still apply.
A claustrophobic and personal gothic horror/mystery combination that, while emotional, I was conflicted about the execution of. A lot of characters felt archetypal, even in different flashbacks or dream sequences that tried to add another dimension to the roles they were relegated to by Isa’s POV. I did enjoy all the layers to the mystery, though, and how most of the threads connected in a way that made sense (at least, in the bizarre context of a story like this). (I feel like the only parts that “didn’t connect” were just re: the Angel itself: it was a strange mix of eldritch, human, and possible metaphor. Is that just a me thing, though?)
I know I’m certainly not the first reader to have said this, but the beginning was kind of irritating to me too, due to the melodrama (and partly the slow pacing). Mason and Isa’s interactions were very bizarre??? I get the initial desperation of trying to figure out and piece together the summoning rituals but, yeah, still really strange to me.
The poetic prose was vulnerable, though. This is also not an original thought (hello Zana), but Wen-Yi Lee has such a strong grip on emotions that, despite a lot of this novel not being to my personal tastes, still kept me reading. I definitely teared up with that one scene of Mason and Isa at the cliff, and them laying together in the forest. The nostalgia, grief, and guilt was dealt with so well. I think this also has to do with the purposefully rambly nature of some of Isa’s thoughts. (And maybe me currently watching my brother play “In Stars And Time”— Isa’s spirals remind me a bit of how Siffrin’s spirals are shown by the text boxes! Goodreads reviewers, don’t leave comments with spoilers under my review, I’m still on Act 3.)
I was pleasantly surprised by how this book handled suicide as a horror device. In the context of supernatural horror particularly, it’s one of my least favorite tropes. But by making it clear the kinds of shame and abuse the kids were subjected to beforehand, and that the Angel isn’t planting harmful thoughts into their heads but merely amplifying the kinds of depression they are already experiencing, I felt that trope was adequately subverted. It’s not their tendencies and their depression that is demonized, but the Angel’s predatory tactics. The importance of grief and ghosts—metaphorical and literal— made Otto, Mason, Trish and Isa’s struggles with this throughout the story deeply meaningful.
Audiobook slowed down my pacing a significant amount, I think that’s also why I absorbed the emotional scenes despite me listening to around an hour of the audiobook on 1.2 or 1.5x speed. (No slight against the narration or the writing, I was just trying to see if I could finish the audiobook before midnight, haha.) As always, Natalie Naudus’s narration (say that quickly three times) is a treat. It’s so interesting getting to hear her voice on a story like this one, knowing some of the personal stuff that went into her debut novel (which is also focused heavily on being repressed by a religious small community! And had a bi FMC!). I think that alone makes the selection of her for the audiobook memorable, but she also had great pacing and expressiveness. But I was not expecting her to sing in that one part with [spoiler redacted] losing it a little!! That was unintentionally funny, if only because of the voice she had to maintain for that character.
Also, I’d like to say that the moment that the inclusion of Taylor Swift’s “are there still beautiful things” lyric gave me HEAVY songfic vibes. But when I figured out that lyric was from “seven”, I realized it wasn’t just that part that felt that way, but literally the entire book?? Mason and Isa were structured so heavily around that song. The nostalgia, the childhood trauma, the ongoing compassion and love oh god. That might actually wreck me.
Honestly I would still recommend this, my critiques are mostly due to my own personal tastes. I can understand the people that really enjoy this.
***************
pre-review:
3.5 I’m rounding up because the ending made me tear up and I liked how some of this had the kind of rawness that could only be matched by a journal entry. RTC
(Note: my rounded up rating only applied to my Goodreads review.)
A claustrophobic and personal gothic horror/mystery combination that, while emotional, I was conflicted about the execution of. A lot of characters felt archetypal, even in different flashbacks or dream sequences that tried to add another dimension to the roles they were relegated to by Isa’s POV. I did enjoy all the layers to the mystery, though, and how most of the threads connected in a way that made sense (at least, in the bizarre context of a story like this). (I feel like the only parts that “didn’t connect” were just re: the Angel itself: it was a strange mix of eldritch, human, and possible metaphor. Is that just a me thing, though?)
I know I’m certainly not the first reader to have said this, but the beginning was kind of irritating to me too, due to the melodrama (and partly the slow pacing). Mason and Isa’s interactions were very bizarre??? I get the initial desperation of trying to figure out and piece together the summoning rituals but, yeah, still really strange to me.
The poetic prose was vulnerable, though. This is also not an original thought (hello Zana), but Wen-Yi Lee has such a strong grip on emotions that, despite a lot of this novel not being to my personal tastes, still kept me reading. I definitely teared up with that one scene of Mason and Isa at the cliff, and them laying together in the forest. The nostalgia, grief, and guilt was dealt with so well. I think this also has to do with the purposefully rambly nature of some of Isa’s thoughts. (And maybe me currently watching my brother play “In Stars And Time”— Isa’s spirals remind me a bit of how Siffrin’s spirals are shown by the text boxes! Goodreads reviewers, don’t leave comments with spoilers under my review, I’m still on Act 3.)
I was pleasantly surprised by how this book handled suicide as a horror device. In the context of supernatural horror particularly, it’s one of my least favorite tropes. But by making it clear the kinds of shame and abuse the kids were subjected to beforehand, and that the Angel isn’t planting harmful thoughts into their heads but merely amplifying the kinds of depression they are already experiencing, I felt that trope was adequately subverted. It’s not their tendencies and their depression that is demonized, but the Angel’s predatory tactics. The importance of grief and ghosts—metaphorical and literal— made Otto, Mason, Trish and Isa’s struggles with this throughout the story deeply meaningful.
Audiobook slowed down my pacing a significant amount, I think that’s also why I absorbed the emotional scenes despite me listening to around an hour of the audiobook on 1.2 or 1.5x speed. (No slight against the narration or the writing, I was just trying to see if I could finish the audiobook before midnight, haha.) As always, Natalie Naudus’s narration (say that quickly three times) is a treat. It’s so interesting getting to hear her voice on a story like this one, knowing some of the personal stuff that went into her debut novel (which is also focused heavily on being repressed by a religious small community! And had a bi FMC!). I think that alone makes the selection of her for the audiobook memorable, but she also had great pacing and expressiveness. But I was not expecting her to sing in that one part with [spoiler redacted] losing it a little!! That was unintentionally funny, if only because of the voice she had to maintain for that character.
Also, I’d like to say that the moment that the inclusion of Taylor Swift’s “are there still beautiful things” lyric gave me HEAVY songfic vibes. But when I figured out that lyric was from “seven”, I realized it wasn’t just that part that felt that way, but literally the entire book?? Mason and Isa were structured so heavily around that song. The nostalgia, the childhood trauma, the ongoing compassion and love oh god. That might actually wreck me.
Honestly I would still recommend this, my critiques are mostly due to my own personal tastes. I can understand the people that really enjoy this.
***************
pre-review:
3.5 I’m rounding up because the ending made me tear up and I liked how some of this had the kind of rawness that could only be matched by a journal entry. RTC
(Note: my rounded up rating only applied to my Goodreads review.)
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced