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nightstitch96's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, and Racism
Minor: War and Abortion
sweetsoverloaad's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? No
4.0
_hexposito's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
louiselee3396's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
5.0
ruhi_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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? No
4.0
paige87's review against another edition
4.0
Evie annoyed me quite often, though I still liked her well enough. I didn't care for Will at all. Other than that, I absolutely loved the story and the characters. Wonderfully done.
crystalstarrlight's review against another edition
4.0
Bullet Review:
I'm wavering between a 4 and a 5 star; I pretty much loved this book (YES, LOVED, there finally said it) up until the last 10%, when I started to get the "Are we done yet, Mommy?"'s. But it was the last 5% though that really kinda torqued me off. It's basically just sequel bait, almost like Bray dropped the first chapter of Book 2 in to get people to keep reading.
I am not a moron; if I am liking a series, I don't need a big huge hook to make me come back for more. I'll be so intrigued and addicted to the characters and world, that I'll jump headfirst back in.
Otherwise, this was smart, funny, delightfully creepy (YES, CREEPY). I loved Evie, I loved the story, I loved the world.
If the last 5% hadn't happened, I would have been thinking about signing up for Book 2; now, though, I feel almost pressured to read Book 2, which is not the way to keep me coming back for more.
Full Review:
Evangeline "Evie" O'Neill has been sent to live with her Uncle William Fitzgerald in New York because of her deviant behavior and a party trick gone wrong. But while there, a string of mysterious murders occur, and Uncle Will is on the case.
I tried to keep myself from saying this for the longest time, afraid it would curse me, but now that I'm done I can finally say it:
I loved this book!
FINALLY, I found a young adult paranormal book that didn't want to make me gouge my eyes out! This book had all the elements I love:
1) A well-developed female character. She's fun, fun-ny, upbeat, sometimes silly, sometimes selfish, sometimes vapid, but also smart and willing to say "I was wrong". She doesn't collapse and have to have a guy save her at the last minute. She talks back to people and stands her ground. She DRINKS alcohol and gets drunk! (This isn't to say drinking to get drunk is a good thing, but it's nice to see people act like freakin' people in YA novels.) AND she doesn't ONCE slut-shame her girlfriends.
2) Not an over-emphasis on the love story. For the most part, Evie isn't on the hunt for a guy. She has some sexual chemistry with Woodhouse and Sam Lloyd, and Jericho is sweet on her, but really, it's more about her abilities and the murder mystery. Now, the last 20% or so adds Jericho as a serious interest, which I thought unnecessary and silly (Mabel is sweet on Jericho, and it only seems that Jericho is even included when he gets injured and tells his sob story). We have a secondary love story, the one between Theta and Memphis, which is pretty awesome, even though it's basically glorified Love at First Sight. I think it was more tolerable because A) it WASN'T between primary characters, B) it wasn't the emphasis, and C) it was well-written.
3) Great atmosphere and surroundings. Bray did some serious research on her time period, and it shows. While for some, it got annoying hearing various characters sling around 20's slang, for me, it was WONDERFUL to hear characters talk like they might have actually spoken in the time period where they live.
4) Wonderful secondary characters. The cast is so diverse and populated with wonderful characters - not just cardboard figures running around, CHARACTERS. My favorite, by far, was Theta, but I also enjoyed Gabe and Memphis (actual black characters, showcasing another wonderful aspect of the 20's, the Harlem Renaissance, DO NOT FAINT!!), Will, Mabel, Henry... And what is even more awesome, is that their backstories tread that perfect line of drama. Theta's backstory is pretty freakin' rough, and yet not once is it as overdramatic as, say, any of Anita Blake's disposable boyfriends.
I wasn't even sure I would enjoy this, because the entire plot basically revolves around a spirit let loose during an Ouija board game and deals a lot with corrupted Christian spiritualism. Number one, Ouija boards are just really silly boards that people use in party games and science is showing that the people using them are likely the ones making the doohickey move, not a spirit. (For a fun time waster, check out this link.) Number two, I just don't like stories where their plots hinge on the occult, particularly ones that contrast to Christianity. (Don't ask me why - maybe it's burnout from the years in the evangelical camp.) That said, the story itself was pretty well-done and, dare I say, legitimately creepy. (Though I personally feel it would be almost be more creepy to have a character use the legend of Naughty John as the basis for being a serial killer.)
I love so much of this and yet I still waver between 4 and 5 stars with extreme hesitance to pick up book 2. Why? Well for me, it's all because of the last 5% or so of the book - the last bit that feels more like a setup for the next book rather than a proper conclusion for the book I'm reading.
I'm not a fan of cliffhangers, and I'm not a fan of authors leaving huge long trails of story threads, basically demanding readers come back for more. I'm a big girl, and if I love something, I don't need to be connived into reading more.
But despite the bumps at the end, I really enjoyed myself reading this, much more than I could ever have hoped for. Libba Bray wrote a compelling story set in the Roaring Twenties with a solid cast, and I'm just pleased as punch that I found a book I enjoyed.
I'm wavering between a 4 and a 5 star; I pretty much loved this book (YES, LOVED, there finally said it) up until the last 10%, when I started to get the "Are we done yet, Mommy?"'s. But it was the last 5% though that really kinda torqued me off. It's basically just sequel bait, almost like Bray dropped the first chapter of Book 2 in to get people to keep reading.
I am not a moron; if I am liking a series, I don't need a big huge hook to make me come back for more. I'll be so intrigued and addicted to the characters and world, that I'll jump headfirst back in.
Otherwise, this was smart, funny, delightfully creepy (YES, CREEPY). I loved Evie, I loved the story, I loved the world.
If the last 5% hadn't happened, I would have been thinking about signing up for Book 2; now, though, I feel almost pressured to read Book 2, which is not the way to keep me coming back for more.
Full Review:
Evangeline "Evie" O'Neill has been sent to live with her Uncle William Fitzgerald in New York because of her deviant behavior and a party trick gone wrong. But while there, a string of mysterious murders occur, and Uncle Will is on the case.
I tried to keep myself from saying this for the longest time, afraid it would curse me, but now that I'm done I can finally say it:
I loved this book!
FINALLY, I found a young adult paranormal book that didn't want to make me gouge my eyes out! This book had all the elements I love:
1) A well-developed female character. She's fun, fun-ny, upbeat, sometimes silly, sometimes selfish, sometimes vapid, but also smart and willing to say "I was wrong". She doesn't collapse and have to have a guy save her at the last minute. She talks back to people and stands her ground. She DRINKS alcohol and gets drunk! (This isn't to say drinking to get drunk is a good thing, but it's nice to see people act like freakin' people in YA novels.) AND she doesn't ONCE slut-shame her girlfriends.
2) Not an over-emphasis on the love story. For the most part, Evie isn't on the hunt for a guy. She has some sexual chemistry with Woodhouse and Sam Lloyd, and Jericho is sweet on her, but really, it's more about her abilities and the murder mystery. Now, the last 20% or so adds Jericho as a serious interest, which I thought unnecessary and silly (Mabel is sweet on Jericho, and it only seems that Jericho is even included when he gets injured and tells his sob story). We have a secondary love story, the one between Theta and Memphis, which is pretty awesome, even though it's basically glorified Love at First Sight. I think it was more tolerable because A) it WASN'T between primary characters, B) it wasn't the emphasis, and C) it was well-written.
3) Great atmosphere and surroundings. Bray did some serious research on her time period, and it shows. While for some, it got annoying hearing various characters sling around 20's slang, for me, it was WONDERFUL to hear characters talk like they might have actually spoken in the time period where they live.
4) Wonderful secondary characters. The cast is so diverse and populated with wonderful characters - not just cardboard figures running around, CHARACTERS. My favorite, by far, was Theta, but I also enjoyed Gabe and Memphis (actual black characters, showcasing another wonderful aspect of the 20's, the Harlem Renaissance, DO NOT FAINT!!), Will, Mabel, Henry... And what is even more awesome, is that their backstories tread that perfect line of drama. Theta's backstory is pretty freakin' rough, and yet not once is it as overdramatic as, say, any of Anita Blake's disposable boyfriends.
I wasn't even sure I would enjoy this, because the entire plot basically revolves around a spirit let loose during an Ouija board game and deals a lot with corrupted Christian spiritualism. Number one, Ouija boards are just really silly boards that people use in party games and science is showing that the people using them are likely the ones making the doohickey move, not a spirit. (For a fun time waster, check out this link.) Number two, I just don't like stories where their plots hinge on the occult, particularly ones that contrast to Christianity. (Don't ask me why - maybe it's burnout from the years in the evangelical camp.) That said, the story itself was pretty well-done and, dare I say, legitimately creepy. (Though I personally feel it would be almost be more creepy to have a character use the legend of Naughty John as the basis for being a serial killer.)
I love so much of this and yet I still waver between 4 and 5 stars with extreme hesitance to pick up book 2. Why? Well for me, it's all because of the last 5% or so of the book - the last bit that feels more like a setup for the next book rather than a proper conclusion for the book I'm reading.
I'm not a fan of cliffhangers, and I'm not a fan of authors leaving huge long trails of story threads, basically demanding readers come back for more. I'm a big girl, and if I love something, I don't need to be connived into reading more.
But despite the bumps at the end, I really enjoyed myself reading this, much more than I could ever have hoped for. Libba Bray wrote a compelling story set in the Roaring Twenties with a solid cast, and I'm just pleased as punch that I found a book I enjoyed.
_isabella_reads_'s review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. It was a bit disturbing/frightening in some scenes, but it was well written and captivating. I would definitely recommend this book.
slvrdragon1090's review against another edition
4.0
Rating 3.5
I’m not sure how I feel about this book? Yes, I want to read the rest of the story. Yes, I need to know what happens. No, I’m not currently interested in the love triangle/relationships.
There was more gory murder than I expected, but I do generally enjoy horror.
I truly can’t make up my mind about this book yet, but I do enjoy the emery and I’m going to continue the series!
I’m not sure how I feel about this book? Yes, I want to read the rest of the story. Yes, I need to know what happens. No, I’m not currently interested in the love triangle/relationships.
There was more gory murder than I expected, but I do generally enjoy horror.
I truly can’t make up my mind about this book yet, but I do enjoy the emery and I’m going to continue the series!