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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
This book was all about atmosphere and characters. If you’re looking for plot heavy then this isn’t it. That’s not to say there isn’t a plot because there absolutely is but the focus is more on the relationships and dynamics Clare, our main character, finds herself in.
All of the characters are quite unlikeable in a way you’d expect from a dark academia book. On the note of dark academia, I can see why some would question if this fits the genre because it is quite academia light but it takes place at a university and although it’s not directly related to the school, there is a sort of ‘project’. I’m on the fence about it!
Because the narration is from Clare’s perspective there is so much unreliability but I loved that! I couldn’t tell what Clare was reading too much into and because we never got to see the other characters without her it made for some reveals later on that were great. This was probably my favourite part because characters who you thought were terrible weren’t as bad as they could be and characters who on the surface looked perfect were so manipulative. Perspective is everything.
I think the story kind of jumped around like a pin ball machine a little. There wasn’t really a natural flow to it which did throw me off a lot. The thing I hate the most was just how much of a wet lettuce most of the characters were. They just went along with whatever and I was screaming for them all, especially Clare, to grow a back bone.
I really really liked the book as a whole. It was petty, late teen angst. I like the cliqueiness and terrible nature of some of the characters. Also just the general concept of wanting to fit in to a group. This is for sure an acquired taste but it worked really well for me.
4/5⭐️
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first half was great, not my usual pick of book but I got through it really quickly. The ending felt rushed, a tad dramatic and kind of ruined how i felt about the first half of the book. still a fun read though
tbh this gave me nothing? it felt so underwritten, the pacing was all over the place and i just honestly wish anything made any sense at all and the book would make me care about the characters even the slightest bit.
sometimes i had to re-read passages because the writing was so diffuse that i didn’t even understand what was going on, where they were at, why they were doing what they were doing. so yeah, super disappointing
sometimes i had to re-read passages because the writing was so diffuse that i didn’t even understand what was going on, where they were at, why they were doing what they were doing. so yeah, super disappointing
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
The first half looked like a solid 3 star review: competent but unoriginal; a bit of fun, but nothing special. But the second half of the book is just terrible.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes