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forestidylls's review against another edition
4.0
Funny, inventive, well-written - I really enjoyed this! I think my only complaint was that, while I conceptually loved the whole cosmic justice thing (really, who of us DOESN'T want that stupid driver to blow a tire), I didn't feel it was at all necessary for the story itself - the main plot could have taken place with or without the instant karma piece.
VERY SLIGHT SPOILER:
Also, I felt like Quint REALLY screwed up at the end and did almost NO penance to be taken back. Like, seriously, if my BF had turned against me that fast, I don't think I would have trusted him again at all. Like, ever.
VERY SLIGHT SPOILER:
Also, I felt like Quint REALLY screwed up at the end and did almost NO penance to be taken back. Like, seriously, if my BF had turned against me that fast, I don't think I would have trusted him again at all. Like, ever.
justagir1's review
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal cruelty
liaashryver's review against another edition
3.0
I need to gather my thoughts for this one.
The ending was really captivating, but overall… this book didn’t reach my expectations.
We were promised fantasy elements but we got just some leftovers, that what I felt. It lacks the fantasy part.
The ending was really captivating, but overall… this book didn’t reach my expectations.
We were promised fantasy elements but we got just some leftovers, that what I felt. It lacks the fantasy part.
mdowner_22's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
adele_em's review against another edition
emotional
funny
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
idahobekah's review against another edition
3.0
I went into this book mostly blind- as I already knew the author going into this book from The Lunar Chronicles series. Though this was a separate genre, I was pretty confident that I loved Marissa Meyer’s writing- and it didn’t disappoint here either!
I loved the portions of the book where the main character Prudence was able to exact “Instant Karma” on those she deemed were in the wrong- it was a welcome addition to the plot as our main character is very stubborn and self-righteous! It was fun seeing the different ways the universe exacted her revenge. Unfortunately this book had just a couple of scenes where this power was at the forefront (mainly in the beginning chapters) and I was left hoping and wanting more.
Despite a long time in our main character’s shoes, Prudence can be very Type-A and controlling which makes it super hard to connect with her as a whole. I’m Type-A too, but this is on a whole other level. She also gives the impression that she’s just better than everyone else around her- whether it be about business, music, or sea life, it just gets annoying. Luckily, this book is self-aware enough to make this a big part of the overall plot.
For what seemed like an enemies to lovers romance, I can’t say I’ve even felt the slightest hint of chemistry between Pru and Quint until the inevitable confession. I felt the hatred between them in the first half, but nothing ever felt like we were progressing towards something past a classmate/friendship. Once they were both open with one another about the feelings, the relationship becomes a lot more believable.
You will enjoy this book if you love protecting sea life, and other non-profit causes. A lot of this book delves into what it’s like to work at a non-profit or a small business. Our main character Pru is very business-minded and constantly trying to improve the financial health of whatever she works on.
Overall I think the pacing could have been improved- the last third of the book was very well paced, but the first two thirds didn’t match up well with that. This book is trying to do too much, maybe it needed to be split into two shorter books, or maybe Fortuna Beach was too rich to fully flesh out in one book.
I loved the portions of the book where the main character Prudence was able to exact “Instant Karma” on those she deemed were in the wrong- it was a welcome addition to the plot as our main character is very stubborn and self-righteous! It was fun seeing the different ways the universe exacted her revenge. Unfortunately this book had just a couple of scenes where this power was at the forefront (mainly in the beginning chapters) and I was left hoping and wanting more.
Despite a long time in our main character’s shoes, Prudence can be very Type-A and controlling which makes it super hard to connect with her as a whole. I’m Type-A too, but this is on a whole other level. She also gives the impression that she’s just better than everyone else around her- whether it be about business, music, or sea life, it just gets annoying. Luckily, this book is self-aware enough to make this a big part of the overall plot.
For what seemed like an enemies to lovers romance, I can’t say I’ve even felt the slightest hint of chemistry between Pru and Quint until the inevitable confession. I felt the hatred between them in the first half, but nothing ever felt like we were progressing towards something past a classmate/friendship. Once they were both open with one another about the feelings, the relationship becomes a lot more believable.
You will enjoy this book if you love protecting sea life, and other non-profit causes. A lot of this book delves into what it’s like to work at a non-profit or a small business. Our main character Pru is very business-minded and constantly trying to improve the financial health of whatever she works on.
Overall I think the pacing could have been improved- the last third of the book was very well paced, but the first two thirds didn’t match up well with that. This book is trying to do too much, maybe it needed to be split into two shorter books, or maybe Fortuna Beach was too rich to fully flesh out in one book.
katricia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.0
t5hirt's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
indoorg1rl's review
4.0
Chronic overachiever Prudence Daniels was always quick to cast judgement on the residents of her coastal town. Her dreams of karmic justice were fulfilled when one day she woke up with the sudden ability to cast instant karma on those around her. Quint Erickson, her slacker of a lab partner, was the only person she couldn’t understand, and her power consistently backfired on him. Soon she began to uncover truths about Quint, her peers and herself.
Ok, this was my second try at reading this book. The first time, I really didn’t connect with Pru because she was so high strung and I wasn’t in the mood to read YA and its teenage angst. But I was so glad I tried again for the second time, because I ended up loving this book!
Putting teenage angst aside, I loved the setting involving the sea animal conservatory. I think Pru did have great ideas about increasing the visibility of the conservatory and making it more sustainable (if not profitable).
The banters between Pru and Quint were fun, and you know how much I love good banters in building chemistry. All in all, this ended up being a winner in my book, and I immediately picked up its sequel afterwards.