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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
+ Tiramisu Hawthorne and supportive Jameson
- Logical gaps between this book and the previous -Tahiti? Grayson's pool rescue?
- Logical gaps between this book and the previous -
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
NON SPOILER SECTION:
This was an INCREDIBLE book but I'll admit, it wasn't incredible until about halfway through. The first bit with the dancing and the romance had my heart because I'm a Jameson girl forever but the rest of the book until around the 170 page mark was a bit like pulling teeth. It felt unexciting personally but I was also having to constantly reacquaint myself with the family tree and whose brother/mother/father/cousin/etc was whose and it honestly got a bit tiring considering it had been a full year since I had finished The Hawthorne Legacy. However, once you get past what I feel was a tired period, it starts ramping up and the dark academia/mystery aesthetic and the suspense finally sets in and it sets in HARD. The romance/love triangle was maintained without it overcoming the main plot and it wasn't a crazy toxic love triangle that I feel like many are. Jameson's character development slapped me in the face in the sweetest way possible and though Grayson's was incredible as well, I don't know how you can't be obsessed with the snarky/comedic/heroic brother. I love Grayson so much and I liked him more in this book than any others but again, the first majority of the book, the gloomy and broken schtick just felt tired. Grayson, I love you and I FEEL the pressure of having high expectations placed on you but channel that into some humor or something pls and thank you. And Xander is of course the iconic genius as he always is.
SPOILER ZONE
I'm just gonna go on a small bullet list rant:
- The ending where Eve reveals herself in the chapel was a bit on the predictable side to me and I felt like the dialogue she was spewing was SO SO basic. It felt like it was taken right out of a marvel/mystery movie, she would say things like, "We're the same, you and I.", "I'm going to need you to give me that." or "Blake wants me by his side, I just have to prove myself first." just felt very cliche and overdone. The whole "villain who reveals their whole plan before actually taking action against the protagonist is just so repetitive.
- The recording Tobias left was kind of iconic. The ending had shivers going down my spine, it was just so grossly egotistical yet so brilliant at the same time. It really gives you conflicted feelings and that happens a lot throughout the book but especially with regard to Tobias, I think he's such a dark and twisted and dynamic character but doesn't even make a living appearance. That's just skill.
- I understand the ending where Toby ends up staying with Vincent was I guess one of the less horrible endings (after what I may add was a really cool chess sequence) but I'm really disappointed Avery was so okay with allowing him to be essentially imprisoned by a psychopath. Like she showed no confliction as she beat him. I understand the stakes of everyone finding out about the murder but she didn't seem to feel guilty that she had basically handed him over. Granted, Vincent is half dead anyway but still. I suppose there is nobility in Toby staying with the daughter he barely knew and coming to terms with his past but I was emotionally attached to Toby so the fact that Avery had essentially no remorse as she beat him just aggravated me.
- I was happy that Eve realized they let her win and was pissed off. She's a sucky daughter. I don't care about her past, she allowed her father to get kidnapped and wanted to be the right hand man to someone who didn't bat an eye at the fact that his son raped a minor.
- "I see so much of your mother in you." is my favorite thing ever, #tobydeservedbetter.
- I have mixed feelings about Avery making The Grandest Game just because the series of hunts and games seemed like a very personal and Hawthorne family specific thing and to publicize it just hurt my heart a little. Now, I think if there was a spin off series called "The Grandest Game" (which, as a Caraval simp, I approve) I think that would be really cool but even so, I wasn't a huge fan of that part. I also think ending the trilogy with a TV interview was weird and I had kind of hoped it was more personal like with the boys or Jameson but it was still good.
- The last sentence ("The game," I said, my voice ripe with promise, "starts right now.") was sick and super cliche but a cliche I'm obsessed with.
This was an INCREDIBLE book but I'll admit, it wasn't incredible until about halfway through. The first bit with the dancing and the romance had my heart because I'm a Jameson girl forever but the rest of the book until around the 170 page mark was a bit like pulling teeth. It felt unexciting personally but I was also having to constantly reacquaint myself with the family tree and whose brother/mother/father/cousin/etc was whose and it honestly got a bit tiring considering it had been a full year since I had finished The Hawthorne Legacy. However, once you get past what I feel was a tired period, it starts ramping up and the dark academia/mystery aesthetic and the suspense finally sets in and it sets in HARD. The romance/love triangle was maintained without it overcoming the main plot and it wasn't a crazy toxic love triangle that I feel like many are. Jameson's character development slapped me in the face in the sweetest way possible and though Grayson's was incredible as well, I don't know how you can't be obsessed with the snarky/comedic/heroic brother. I love Grayson so much and I liked him more in this book than any others but again, the first majority of the book, the gloomy and broken schtick just felt tired. Grayson, I love you and I FEEL the pressure of having high expectations placed on you but channel that into some humor or something pls and thank you. And Xander is of course the iconic genius as he always is.
SPOILER ZONE
I'm just gonna go on a small bullet list rant:
- The ending where Eve reveals herself in the chapel was a bit on the predictable side to me and I felt like the dialogue she was spewing was SO SO basic. It felt like it was taken right out of a marvel/mystery movie, she would say things like, "We're the same, you and I.", "I'm going to need you to give me that." or "Blake wants me by his side, I just have to prove myself first." just felt very cliche and overdone. The whole "villain who reveals their whole plan before actually taking action against the protagonist is just so repetitive.
- The recording Tobias left was kind of iconic. The ending had shivers going down my spine, it was just so grossly egotistical yet so brilliant at the same time. It really gives you conflicted feelings and that happens a lot throughout the book but especially with regard to Tobias, I think he's such a dark and twisted and dynamic character but doesn't even make a living appearance. That's just skill.
- I understand the ending where Toby ends up staying with Vincent was I guess one of the less horrible endings (after what I may add was a really cool chess sequence) but I'm really disappointed Avery was so okay with allowing him to be essentially imprisoned by a psychopath. Like she showed no confliction as she beat him. I understand the stakes of everyone finding out about the murder but she didn't seem to feel guilty that she had basically handed him over. Granted, Vincent is half dead anyway but still. I suppose there is nobility in Toby staying with the daughter he barely knew and coming to terms with his past but I was emotionally attached to Toby so the fact that Avery had essentially no remorse as she beat him just aggravated me.
- I was happy that Eve realized they let her win and was pissed off. She's a sucky daughter. I don't care about her past, she allowed her father to get kidnapped and wanted to be the right hand man to someone who didn't bat an eye at the fact that his son raped a minor.
- "I see so much of your mother in you." is my favorite thing ever, #tobydeservedbetter.
- I have mixed feelings about Avery making The Grandest Game just because the series of hunts and games seemed like a very personal and Hawthorne family specific thing and to publicize it just hurt my heart a little. Now, I think if there was a spin off series called "The Grandest Game" (which, as a Caraval simp, I approve) I think that would be really cool but even so, I wasn't a huge fan of that part. I also think ending the trilogy with a TV interview was weird and I had kind of hoped it was more personal like with the boys or Jameson but it was still good.
- The last sentence ("The game," I said, my voice ripe with promise, "starts right now.") was sick and super cliche but a cliche I'm obsessed with.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked the character development in this one but the plot became a bit soap opera-y and kind of hard to follow at the end