You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
tense
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
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Lope deserved better 😤
I didn't like the way Opelia didn't believe her friend that she knew for years and who saved her life on multiple occasions.
The story was very predictable there wasn't a single plot twist that got me.
I didn't like the way Opelia didn't believe her friend that she knew for years and who saved her life on multiple occasions.
The story was very predictable there wasn't a single plot twist that got me.
I couldn't even get 100 pages in. Everything felt so rushed and clunky--it reads like a bad and lacking story on Wattpad--and I know I should've given it more of a chance but everything was just written as a blur, I felt it was lacking in details, and both girls had already realized their feelings for each other at about 50 pages in. The book sounded decently cool but I just could not get into it. I could've cared less about what I read and can't imagine what in the world the author could have written another 300 pages about.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
3.5 ⭐️ I desperately wanted to like this book more. The whimsical fantasy and fairytales vibes were hitting and the creepy shadows that were haunting this kingdom were intriguing buuuuut the MFC was not it. Ofelia was so shallow and naive it made me want to throw the book. Everything she did made me scratch my head and ask why?!
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What happened here? I loved Flowerheart; it was one of my top books of the year when I read it. This did not match that level of quality at all.
The writing felt incredibly juvenile. I've read middle grade books that were more subtle and nuanced. It was like the author had no faith in the reader's comprehension skills at all, so everything had to be explained thoroughly and repeatedly. This made the pacing feel painfully slow.
None of the characters, not a single one, felt like an actual person. Ofelia's POV was like reading the perspective of a small child for how gullible and surface level her thoughts were. Lope was slightly better because they weren't quite so naive, but still very one-note. The plot was both predictable and nonsensical at times.
There are a lot of poems scattered around. I can't say if they're good or bad, they didn't really contribute to my reading experience negatively or positively.
I really wanted to like this, and I had been so sure that I would. I'm trying to be generous with my rating because I know this is only Catherine Bakewell's second book. I do hope she continues publishing and perhaps her next book will be more to my taste. The nicest thing I can say about this one is that the cover is beautiful.
The writing felt incredibly juvenile. I've read middle grade books that were more subtle and nuanced. It was like the author had no faith in the reader's comprehension skills at all, so everything had to be explained thoroughly and repeatedly. This made the pacing feel painfully slow.
None of the characters, not a single one, felt like an actual person. Ofelia's POV was like reading the perspective of a small child for how gullible and surface level her thoughts were. Lope was slightly better because they weren't quite so naive, but still very one-note. The plot was both predictable and nonsensical at times.
There are a lot of poems scattered around. I can't say if they're good or bad, they didn't really contribute to my reading experience negatively or positively.
I really wanted to like this, and I had been so sure that I would. I'm trying to be generous with my rating because I know this is only Catherine Bakewell's second book. I do hope she continues publishing and perhaps her next book will be more to my taste. The nicest thing I can say about this one is that the cover is beautiful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Grief, Death of parent
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes