You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've finished this days ago but I was a bit bummed out.
I just aced my final exam (I'm saying that but the point still hasn't gone through. What do you do except studying? Asking for a friend.)
For like the first third of this book I was so on board. I loved the athmosphere, the audiobook narration was interesting to me, it was very emotional. I loved seeing this girl whose music was part of her personality, I love the concept of using this art as coping with grief.
- I'm only going to write about the characterisation of the MC, because that's what made this experience sour for me. -
She quickly became a terribly reckless person though. She grew so irresponsible. Flawed characters make for interesting stories, but this was too much (for me). The peak of this being when she stopped caring about what every single person (all her loved ones) said about her putting all of them in danger. The only thing she cared about truly was finding out the truth about what happened in her family that made them all so "messed up".
I know, grief and magic consumed her and drove her kind of mad, and the things she does probably seemed like the only option she had. Never listening to the people she says she cares about, especially putting them in danger and causing them trauma, well, I just can't root for that character. I wished most of her friends would just stay away from her because they seemed nice, at least.
I just aced my final exam (I'm saying that but the point still hasn't gone through. What do you do except studying? Asking for a friend.)
For like the first third of this book I was so on board. I loved the athmosphere, the audiobook narration was interesting to me, it was very emotional. I loved seeing this girl whose music was part of her personality, I love the concept of using this art as coping with grief.
- I'm only going to write about the characterisation of the MC, because that's what made this experience sour for me. -
She quickly became a terribly reckless person though. She grew so irresponsible. Flawed characters make for interesting stories, but this was too much (for me). The peak of this being when she stopped caring about what every single person (all her loved ones) said about her putting all of them in danger. The only thing she cared about truly was finding out the truth about what happened in her family that made them all so "messed up".
I know, grief and magic consumed her and drove her kind of mad, and the things she does probably seemed like the only option she had. Never listening to the people she says she cares about, especially putting them in danger and causing them trauma, well, I just can't root for that character. I wished most of her friends would just stay away from her because they seemed nice, at least.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
This book cleaves misery and hope together just as well as it cleaves your heart in two. It's uncommon to read a book that manages page turning thrills, two mystery plots, and a wicked strong emotional core all at once.
The book is about toxic familial relationships caused by guilt. While my statement is vague, the book is precise. Shady is our window to this world that much resembles our own. The only difference being ghosts in the book are more tangible than the ghosts in ours.
Some of the writing is repetitive. Faces are commonly described as hard or soft. This was a tripping block for me. Also, the "I'm awake and then I'm not..." rhythm happens more than I appreciate--another tripping block for me. Your mileage may vary. These writing crutches don't appear in the climax of the book.
Many of Shady's friends act implausibly. They are recklessly supportive of Shady despite the hell she drags them through. The needs of her friends are repressed so I'm forced to conclude they are poorly developed. This is likely for the sake of brevity. Fortunately, the momentum of the mystery carries the reader forward.
I was annoyed at the first mystery wrapping up so conveniently. But then the second one, the far more important one, took over and I was hooked. The red herring allowed me to be blindsided by a deeper plot. It's awesome.
There is a major thematic slip-up in the climax. (Page 354, midway down. Right before: "[They] crosses [Their] arms.") Which was disheartening to read since Erica Waters was doing so well. The emotional uncoupling from an evil relationship was undone with a clumsy statement. It's difficult to explain without details. I'll be vague as it's close as I can get. An important character continues to hate a family member despite the fact the theme is about (more or less) giving up hatred. Nevertheless, the consequences of continued hatred are ignored. This harms the book in two ways. 1) It undermines the theme the book has been building. 2) Decouples the book from reality--Erica Waters is momentarily dishonest with the reader. It seems that this slip up is more of Erica's voice than the character's. The phrase reads like some hatred Erica hasn't given up. Hatred only binds an abuser closer to your heart and lets them steer your life.
Let's end on a positive note. This book deserves it. The bluegrass music in the book is written with honest, reckless love. Erica Water's does play the banjo so I gather she does have firsthand experience. But even if she didn't, the care for bluegrass is brutality precise. I searched up a song, "I'm Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail" (Page 186) and it was 100% spot on. The music in the book is everywhere, it is part of the theme, part of the problem, part of the solution. It's playful and deathly serious, like how the Theory of Relativity was discovered by Einstein's playful imagination--same spirit. It's something you have to read to understand.
This book is a benefit to humanity. It's worth reading and it's worth loving.
The book is about toxic familial relationships caused by guilt. While my statement is vague, the book is precise. Shady is our window to this world that much resembles our own. The only difference being ghosts in the book are more tangible than the ghosts in ours.
Some of the writing is repetitive. Faces are commonly described as hard or soft. This was a tripping block for me. Also, the "I'm awake and then I'm not..." rhythm happens more than I appreciate--another tripping block for me. Your mileage may vary. These writing crutches don't appear in the climax of the book.
Many of Shady's friends act implausibly. They are recklessly supportive of Shady despite the hell she drags them through. The needs of her friends are repressed so I'm forced to conclude they are poorly developed. This is likely for the sake of brevity. Fortunately, the momentum of the mystery carries the reader forward.
I was annoyed at the first mystery wrapping up so conveniently. But then the second one, the far more important one, took over and I was hooked. The red herring allowed me to be blindsided by a deeper plot. It's awesome.
There is a major thematic slip-up in the climax. (Page 354, midway down. Right before: "[They] crosses [Their] arms.") Which was disheartening to read since Erica Waters was doing so well. The emotional uncoupling from an evil relationship was undone with a clumsy statement. It's difficult to explain without details. I'll be vague as it's close as I can get. An important character continues to hate a family member despite the fact the theme is about (more or less) giving up hatred. Nevertheless, the consequences of continued hatred are ignored. This harms the book in two ways. 1) It undermines the theme the book has been building. 2) Decouples the book from reality--Erica Waters is momentarily dishonest with the reader. It seems that this slip up is more of Erica's voice than the character's. The phrase reads like some hatred Erica hasn't given up. Hatred only binds an abuser closer to your heart and lets them steer your life.
Let's end on a positive note. This book deserves it. The bluegrass music in the book is written with honest, reckless love. Erica Water's does play the banjo so I gather she does have firsthand experience. But even if she didn't, the care for bluegrass is brutality precise. I searched up a song, "I'm Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail" (Page 186) and it was 100% spot on. The music in the book is everywhere, it is part of the theme, part of the problem, part of the solution. It's playful and deathly serious, like how the Theory of Relativity was discovered by Einstein's playful imagination--same spirit. It's something you have to read to understand.
This book is a benefit to humanity. It's worth reading and it's worth loving.
Grief is what binds the living and the dead. He couldn't have taught me to play this fiddle even if he'd wanted to. Only his death could teach me.
A fairly standard YA for me (not a fan of a love triangle, in pretty much any scenario) - but solid, and I enjoyed the magical music
A fairly standard YA for me (not a fan of a love triangle, in pretty much any scenario) - but solid, and I enjoyed the magical music
emotional
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I hated the love triangle and I could not get over how every adult sucked. The mystery part was good though but I'm not sure if we needed the tragic backstory of protag's dad and aunt.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix