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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Susannah, are you saying you died for me?"
Maybe I'm secretly a big sap now or something, but this one really got to me. I actually teared up and cried a bit for Suze, seeing her so torn up and broken like that... I just couldn't help my emotions.
I'm also kind of baffled that there was actually a proper cliffhanger at the end! Usually it's a little bit of a nudge of "hey, don't you wanna read the next and meet Gina?", or the like. But this time we have unanswered questions, and a possible future antagonist? I'm very excited.
And obviously the best part was the final page, I almost screamed, I was so happy!
Maybe I'm secretly a big sap now or something, but this one really got to me. I actually teared up and cried a bit for Suze, seeing her so torn up and broken like that... I just couldn't help my emotions.
I'm also kind of baffled that there was actually a proper cliffhanger at the end! Usually it's a little bit of a nudge of "hey, don't you wanna read the next and meet Gina?", or the like. But this time we have unanswered questions, and a possible future antagonist? I'm very excited.
And obviously the best part was the final page, I almost screamed, I was so happy!
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
my favorite of the series so far. i was giggity GAGGED.
Like, in my brainless heart...even in my brainless heart... it would still only be like, a 3.9, SO CLOSE TO A FOUR I swear. I did like it. There were stakes in this book, and it was glorious. I was engaged, I was feeling all of the feels. Jesse, he was the damsel in this book! How could I not be engaged?
It's just...down to the way these books are written. Let me explain.
The other books were what I like to call, "popcorn books". You read one, and it's quick, pretty easy, and though it is enjoyable you are never really emotionally invested due to the aforementioned "quick and easy" characteristics. It's fine though, because I kind of got what the books were aiming for after book one. It's not a bad thing, and I rated them all fairly well considering the formulaic plot and... surprising lack of character moments to be frank. It's just easy to like it, once you turn your brain off to enjoy this delicious bite of goodness.
However! This book's plot would have been better served in a book that was not a popcorn books. Previous plots were all popcorn read plots. Suze meets guy, guy has ghost problems, and Suze saves the damsel guy with the help of Jesse, Father Dominic and sometimes Doc. This book was not a popcorn plot. It was like...what I'd expect out of a transition-y, second book in a series. It was solid, and it had stakes. I cannot emphasize how small the stakes were (once your brain turns on) in the other books. Yet, this one had it all. A character we have grown fond of for three other books, new world building, small character moments that reminded you WHY you should care, and real danger for the characters.
Sadly, the book was only slightly longer, and... I feel that perhaps in trying to be an "economic" writer by writing less, Meg Cabot missed a huge opportunity. Probably not her fault, I know she is really talented at writing characters that feel real, complex and that are changing before our eyes like real people. Perhaps this series just had a formula it had to go for. Still, I just had to say this stuff, because otherwise this book would have gotten a solid four stars, maybe even more. This book suffered for being in a series that was mostly "popcorn books" because otherwise, I honestly feel that this might have been one of my favorite books in the world. I can easily see that, and it kills me a little if I'm honest.
I know it's kind of unfair to judge a book by what you WISH it to be and not what it IS, but my reviews are always about what I feel. I feel simultaneously pleased that this book finally gave the series it's best plot to date... and frustrated that is was not the epic, awesome, amazing book it should have been.
So, yeah.
tl;dr I like this series, I kind of love it because it's popcorn read...but for that very same reason I don't LOVE it. This was the best book thus far, and I had a lot of opinions on that. Yeah. That's about it.
I will be reading books five and six.
It's just...down to the way these books are written. Let me explain.
The other books were what I like to call, "popcorn books". You read one, and it's quick, pretty easy, and though it is enjoyable you are never really emotionally invested due to the aforementioned "quick and easy" characteristics. It's fine though, because I kind of got what the books were aiming for after book one. It's not a bad thing, and I rated them all fairly well considering the formulaic plot and... surprising lack of character moments to be frank. It's just easy to like it, once you turn your brain off to enjoy this delicious bite of goodness.
However! This book's plot would have been better served in a book that was not a popcorn books. Previous plots were all popcorn read plots. Suze meets guy, guy has ghost problems, and Suze saves the damsel guy with the help of Jesse, Father Dominic and sometimes Doc. This book was not a popcorn plot. It was like...what I'd expect out of a transition-y, second book in a series. It was solid, and it had stakes. I cannot emphasize how small the stakes were (once your brain turns on) in the other books. Yet, this one had it all. A character we have grown fond of for three other books, new world building, small character moments that reminded you WHY you should care, and real danger for the characters.
Sadly, the book was only slightly longer, and... I feel that perhaps in trying to be an "economic" writer by writing less, Meg Cabot missed a huge opportunity. Probably not her fault, I know she is really talented at writing characters that feel real, complex and that are changing before our eyes like real people. Perhaps this series just had a formula it had to go for. Still, I just had to say this stuff, because otherwise this book would have gotten a solid four stars, maybe even more. This book suffered for being in a series that was mostly "popcorn books" because otherwise, I honestly feel that this might have been one of my favorite books in the world. I can easily see that, and it kills me a little if I'm honest.
I know it's kind of unfair to judge a book by what you WISH it to be and not what it IS, but my reviews are always about what I feel. I feel simultaneously pleased that this book finally gave the series it's best plot to date... and frustrated that is was not the epic, awesome, amazing book it should have been.
So, yeah.
tl;dr I like this series, I kind of love it because it's popcorn read...but for that very same reason I don't LOVE it. This was the best book thus far, and I had a lot of opinions on that. Yeah. That's about it.
I will be reading books five and six.
The action in this one was a little more interesting.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
There's a line in a chapter about halfway through that drove me nuts