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giulay's review against another edition
2.0
"Being an actor is all about finding keys from the real world that open imaginary locks."
Unpopular Opinion Time đ¸âď¸
Actual rating: 2.5 âď¸
Look, this was an okay book.
I was not fully grasped by it, and I do not know why.
But I was not over the moon with this one. Quite the opposite
The writing style was good, the characters were complex and interesting to follow; the story was a cool one. But I simply was not interested.
A thing I was not particularly a fan of, was the different perspectives sprinkled throughout the book.
I thought they were not truly useful and just confused me since I had no idea who the character was as there was no name or indication or anything to inform the reader that the POV had changed.
Also, I was not expecting it to be part murder-mystery, and I'm simply not a fan of that genre.
Things happened at the very beginning and then everything kinda dragged, in my opinion.
Appreciated the lesbian/bi rep, and I thought the two girls were just simply adorable! I also gotta say, though, that I also felt their relationship blossomed a bit too quickly; it was very much toeing the line of insta-love.
Also, Iâve reached the conclusion that theater-book are not my thing. They are not my jam, mate. They do not make my heart sing. But that is just me particularly.
But apart from all this, I have nothing else bad to say. Truth be told, though, I also have nothing else good to say.
It was an okay book that I wonât remember in the long run.
"Backstage is black and empty. Not so much a world as the darkness before the world begins."
Unpopular Opinion Time đ¸âď¸
Actual rating: 2.5 âď¸
Look, this was an okay book.
I was not fully grasped by it, and I do not know why.
But I was not over the moon with this one. Quite the opposite
The writing style was good, the characters were complex and interesting to follow; the story was a cool one. But I simply was not interested.
A thing I was not particularly a fan of, was the different perspectives sprinkled throughout the book.
I thought they were not truly useful and just confused me since I had no idea who the character was as there was no name or indication or anything to inform the reader that the POV had changed.
Also, I was not expecting it to be part murder-mystery, and I'm simply not a fan of that genre.
Things happened at the very beginning and then everything kinda dragged, in my opinion.
Appreciated the lesbian/bi rep, and I thought the two girls were just simply adorable! I also gotta say, though, that I also felt their relationship blossomed a bit too quickly; it was very much toeing the line of insta-love.
Also, Iâve reached the conclusion that theater-book are not my thing. They are not my jam, mate. They do not make my heart sing. But that is just me particularly.
But apart from all this, I have nothing else bad to say. Truth be told, though, I also have nothing else good to say.
It was an okay book that I wonât remember in the long run.
"Backstage is black and empty. Not so much a world as the darkness before the world begins."
star_sword's review
5.0
This book was pretty good.
One main thing I want to point out is that it's really a romance with some mystery thrown in, rather than a mystery with romance. This isn't bad, but I was expecting more of a mystery. The focus is more on Zara and Eli than the murders and mystery. The suspense would die down occasionally which wasn't bad, but felt a little disappointing. Aside from that, I absolutely loved this book.
First of all, the writing style was beautiful. It felt sort of like I was drifting along with Eli and Zara's thoughts, almost like a dream. It did feel a little slow at times, and I wasn't really on the edge of my seat, but it was still interesting. Even when the plot got violent or dangerous, it mostly still felt calm, which was pretty nice. It all felt really poetic.
The mystery itself was interesting and thought provoking. It would bend in one direction and another until the end which left me wondering about what's right and what's wrong. I liked how it showcased the abuse men in power can get away with since I think this needs to be talked about more in society.
One main thing I want to point out is that it's really a romance with some mystery thrown in, rather than a mystery with romance. This isn't bad, but I was expecting more of a mystery. The focus is more on Zara and Eli than the murders and mystery. The suspense would die down occasionally which wasn't bad, but felt a little disappointing. Aside from that, I absolutely loved this book.
First of all, the writing style was beautiful. It felt sort of like I was drifting along with Eli and Zara's thoughts, almost like a dream. It did feel a little slow at times, and I wasn't really on the edge of my seat, but it was still interesting. Even when the plot got violent or dangerous, it mostly still felt calm, which was pretty nice. It all felt really poetic.
The mystery itself was interesting and thought provoking. It would bend in one direction and another until the end which left me wondering about what's right and what's wrong. I liked how it showcased the abuse men in power can get away with since I think this needs to be talked about more in society.
cateslittlelibrary's review
4.0
clever, emotional, and sapphic- iâm a huge theater lover so you know i was excited abt this one! i wasnât expecting such an intricate mystery, but it was pretty well done and interesting to read from zaraâs perspective with snippets from the cast and crew woven throughout. zara and eli were lovely, and although their characters couldâve been developed a bit more, their romance was wonderfully done. the big reveal of who was behind it all wasnât what i was guessing, which pleasantly surprised me. i do wish iâd been able to get more backstory on each individual character, especially kestrel, for example. they were such strong personalities and i just wouldâve really enjoyed more, but in the end this was zaraâs story and i understand. overall, a solid romance/mystery/thriller that kept me on my toes all the way- well done!
mamas_gotta_read's review
4.0
Teenage actress Zara Evans is awarded the role of a lifetime at the Aurelia Theatre in New York. But after discovering the murders of two company members, Zara begins to realize that her dreams may be more than she bargained for.
Murder mysteries arenât typically my thing, but Iâm a theatre kid, so I NEEDED to check this out. To my surprise, I really enjoyed this story! This book delivers HEAVY on the theatre representation, and actors, designers, and crew members were present and accounted for and expressed in such vivid and realistic detail. The cast of characters of the Aurelia have been together for a while, which is not uncommon amongst the theatre world, and I love how that was represented.
The relationship between Zara and Eli that was developing amidst all that was happening at the theatre was really really lovely-a bright spot amongst the darkness happening all around. I do wish, however that other relationships in the story (Zara/Adrian; Zara/Kestrel; Kestrel/Carl) were developed a bit more.
I really enjoyed the authorâs writing style-they certainly have a way with words. I was worried the multiple POV would be confusing, but it actually helped the story, giving each character a chance to show their side of the story. The âwhodunnitâ kept me guessing until the end, which only motivated me to keep reading. That being said, I wasnât satisfied with the ending. I feel like many ends were left untied and I still have SO many questions.
Murder mysteries arenât typically my thing, but Iâm a theatre kid, so I NEEDED to check this out. To my surprise, I really enjoyed this story! This book delivers HEAVY on the theatre representation, and actors, designers, and crew members were present and accounted for and expressed in such vivid and realistic detail. The cast of characters of the Aurelia have been together for a while, which is not uncommon amongst the theatre world, and I love how that was represented.
The relationship between Zara and Eli that was developing amidst all that was happening at the theatre was really really lovely-a bright spot amongst the darkness happening all around. I do wish, however that other relationships in the story (Zara/Adrian; Zara/Kestrel; Kestrel/Carl) were developed a bit more.
I really enjoyed the authorâs writing style-they certainly have a way with words. I was worried the multiple POV would be confusing, but it actually helped the story, giving each character a chance to show their side of the story. The âwhodunnitâ kept me guessing until the end, which only motivated me to keep reading. That being said, I wasnât satisfied with the ending. I feel like many ends were left untied and I still have SO many questions.
queerfucker's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
4.75
kappareads's review
4.0
I feel like the characters really shine the most and I want to learn even more about them. I fell in love with ones I didn't expect.
The murder mystery part really picks up in the last half, but the first half was full of theater feels so I wasn't that fussed.
The does feel like a book I'll want to reread (and a finished copy this time cause I read an ARC). I throughly enjoyed it
The murder mystery part really picks up in the last half, but the first half was full of theater feels so I wasn't that fussed.
The does feel like a book I'll want to reread (and a finished copy this time cause I read an ARC). I throughly enjoyed it
kelbs42's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thereadingwren's review
4.0
The mystery and murder shenanigans is the reason I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5. It almost felt unnecessary and very convoluted. The murders became a back story that wasn't at all interesting. I just really didn't care about it and that whole storyline just felt like it was trying too hard.
The theatre life and the romance were perfection though. A new actress trying to show her worth, the predatory director, everyone trying to put on a good show, and the hidden romance was phenomenal. I loved the tension of the theatre and all these powerful personalities working together. The relationship also had amazing tension and chemistry, it was amazing.
If only the murder mystery aspect wasn't there I would have loved the whole book.
The theatre life and the romance were perfection though. A new actress trying to show her worth, the predatory director, everyone trying to put on a good show, and the hidden romance was phenomenal. I loved the tension of the theatre and all these powerful personalities working together. The relationship also had amazing tension and chemistry, it was amazing.
If only the murder mystery aspect wasn't there I would have loved the whole book.
hereisenough's review
it'd be really great if i could stop being so picky, bc this sounded interesting, but i'm just not in the mood for a murder mystery. did i love the writing? yeah. did i love the wlw plot? yes. i'm quite disappointed in myself, so i'm keeping this on my (physical) shelf to rediscover later.