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pachypedia's review
3.0
Algo me ha faltado en este libro, quizás es culpa mía, porque esperaba más profundidad en cuanto a la familia de Amy, que me parece muy interesante, ya que cada uno tiene un poder especial.
asherstrife's review
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
sam_riccio's review against another edition
4.0
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
One of my favorite things about reading is writing notes down as I go, to see if I can get anything about the storie right in my head before it plays out and to write down my favorite aspects, and parts that made me happy.
What could I say about 'Amy of the Necromancers' ?
I can say that I didn't see any of this coming really; the ending, how the characters would react to everything going on.
It was relatable in parts, as a young person with depression I understood what it was like for Amy to dissociate as often as she did, to read the same words that my own therapist has said back to me when I was panicking, it was good to see a character talk to a therapist, talk about going to see a therapist when so many people find it hard to go to one.
One thing that made me happy was how similar Amy and her friends were to actual teens: going out to concerts, gossiping, smoking weed in the woods. It all gave the story a good grounding sense to it when there was another level of chaos going on. The romance was cute, and slipped in easily with the story. The LGBT+ representation in this was another big factor into me liking this.
By not making a big deal of someone being non-binary or a WLW but having them reinforce that this is who they are shows how natural this is to people who aren't in the community, and its the sort of casual part of life that I love to see in novels.
My one complaint is that I felt that some of the chapters could have been condensed together to make a longer chapter but still have everything in it be there. Some of the plot twists made sense, some of them i didn't see coming at all - and I feel like Amy could be read as an unreliable narrator, due to the dissociation and how easily she seemed to bring things up that weren't previously mentioned.
The open ending suited the central theme of not knowing what's going to happen next, and I love that because we don't know what's going to happen next in our own lives and Amy has so much to do and to think about in the future of her life but she can't know what it will be! I just think it was a neat way to end it.
If this were to be a series, I would be happy to read about the other sisters, or anyone else in the family since they're all so unique.
One of my favorite things about reading is writing notes down as I go, to see if I can get anything about the storie right in my head before it plays out and to write down my favorite aspects, and parts that made me happy.
What could I say about 'Amy of the Necromancers' ?
I can say that I didn't see any of this coming really; the ending, how the characters would react to everything going on.
It was relatable in parts, as a young person with depression I understood what it was like for Amy to dissociate as often as she did, to read the same words that my own therapist has said back to me when I was panicking, it was good to see a character talk to a therapist, talk about going to see a therapist when so many people find it hard to go to one.
One thing that made me happy was how similar Amy and her friends were to actual teens: going out to concerts, gossiping, smoking weed in the woods. It all gave the story a good grounding sense to it when there was another level of chaos going on. The romance was cute, and slipped in easily with the story. The LGBT+ representation in this was another big factor into me liking this.
By not making a big deal of someone being non-binary or a WLW but having them reinforce that this is who they are shows how natural this is to people who aren't in the community, and its the sort of casual part of life that I love to see in novels.
My one complaint is that I felt that some of the chapters could have been condensed together to make a longer chapter but still have everything in it be there. Some of the plot twists made sense, some of them i didn't see coming at all - and I feel like Amy could be read as an unreliable narrator, due to the dissociation and how easily she seemed to bring things up that weren't previously mentioned.
The open ending suited the central theme of not knowing what's going to happen next, and I love that because we don't know what's going to happen next in our own lives and Amy has so much to do and to think about in the future of her life but she can't know what it will be! I just think it was a neat way to end it.
If this were to be a series, I would be happy to read about the other sisters, or anyone else in the family since they're all so unique.
goreting's review
4.0
*ARC provided by BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.*
I had never read a book about necromancy before, so I was looking forward to see how I would feel about such subject.
The story was intriguing, kept me trying to guess what happened, only letting out one little clue at a time.
I really enjoyed how the characters were believable, how many there were and how the relationships between them were portrayed.
The family dynamics were interesting, and so was the friendship group.
I liked how there was representation of, not only race but sexual orientation, gender and an anxiety disorder. There was even a non binary character, which unfortunately doesn't happen very often in literature.
The main character dissociated often at the beginning, which sometimes felt a somewhat repetitive, but I liked how open she was about how her therapist was helpful in dealing with those issues.
I thought the romance aspect was cute and ended up hoping they'd get together in the end. However, I think the beginning wasn't handled very well, it felt too rushed, it seemed like the main character was fixated on the new girl almost obsessively. It did get better but I believe it could've been improved.
Lastly, the ending of the book felt kind of sudden. As soon as the main "mystery" was solved, it took only a couple pages to be over. It didn't go over the consequences of all that had happened, it didn't go through how the main character felt about being "out" as a necromancer in town, about the relationship that was starting, it just ended.
Nevertheless, I thought it was a pleasant read, the characters were likable and relatable and I would read more from the author.
QUOTES:
“You don’t need to qualify your pain, Amy. Everyone hurts.”
"Death is silent, like Holly, but so are the people around it."
"An animal without a name is wild and free; a person without a name is just a ghost."
I had never read a book about necromancy before, so I was looking forward to see how I would feel about such subject.
The story was intriguing, kept me trying to guess what happened, only letting out one little clue at a time.
I really enjoyed how the characters were believable, how many there were and how the relationships between them were portrayed.
The family dynamics were interesting, and so was the friendship group.
I liked how there was representation of, not only race but sexual orientation, gender and an anxiety disorder. There was even a non binary character, which unfortunately doesn't happen very often in literature.
The main character dissociated often at the beginning, which sometimes felt a somewhat repetitive, but I liked how open she was about how her therapist was helpful in dealing with those issues.
I thought the romance aspect was cute and ended up hoping they'd get together in the end. However, I think the beginning wasn't handled very well, it felt too rushed, it seemed like the main character was fixated on the new girl almost obsessively. It did get better but I believe it could've been improved.
Lastly, the ending of the book felt kind of sudden. As soon as the main "mystery" was solved, it took only a couple pages to be over. It didn't go over the consequences of all that had happened, it didn't go through how the main character felt about being "out" as a necromancer in town, about the relationship that was starting, it just ended.
Nevertheless, I thought it was a pleasant read, the characters were likable and relatable and I would read more from the author.
QUOTES:
“You don’t need to qualify your pain, Amy. Everyone hurts.”
"Death is silent, like Holly, but so are the people around it."
"An animal without a name is wild and free; a person without a name is just a ghost."
katleeboy's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death
Minor: Suicide attempt
mayflower_ng's review
4.0
~4 stars~
Thanks BookSirens for a free arc in exchange for honest opinions!
Writing:I’m not a big fan of the pacing of the story since the first 60% was pretty slow and mainly just build up material. I get that it was necessary to understand the friendship & family dynamics and getting to know Amy but it could’ve used a speed boost. After that though I couldn’t stop reading and wanted to push for answers. The writing itself was good. I wouldn’t say crazy spectacular but it was well enough to hold my attention.
Characters: I really liked Amy as a protagonist! She was flawed and made some questionable decisions but that made her human and understandable. I can’t speak on the mental health rep much but I thought the descriptions really helped you get a feel for what she’s going through. Amy’s family and friends were decent supporting characters.
Plot & Romance: I loved the way it was constructed and the ending left me shocked. Romance isn’t very prevalent in the story but it was cute when you get a glimpse of Amy and Toni’s relationship :)
~~~~~
FIRST ARC LOVES
Thanks BookSirens for a free arc in exchange for honest opinions!
Writing:I’m not a big fan of the pacing of the story since the first 60% was pretty slow and mainly just build up material. I get that it was necessary to understand the friendship & family dynamics and getting to know Amy but it could’ve used a speed boost. After that though I couldn’t stop reading and wanted to push for answers. The writing itself was good. I wouldn’t say crazy spectacular but it was well enough to hold my attention.
Characters: I really liked Amy as a protagonist! She was flawed and made some questionable decisions but that made her human and understandable. I can’t speak on the mental health rep much but I thought the descriptions really helped you get a feel for what she’s going through. Amy’s family and friends were decent supporting characters.
Plot & Romance: I loved the way it was constructed and the ending left me shocked. Romance isn’t very prevalent in the story but it was cute when you get a glimpse of Amy and Toni’s relationship :)
~~~~~
FIRST ARC LOVES
chaotic_critique's review
4.0
This was a really fresh take on a story about death and necromancy. It was less about “supernatural” goings-on and more about being human and how difficult it is to deal with grief, death and the complexities of interpreting what others want when they won’t put it into words. In Amy, we have a queer protagonist who deals with depression and disassociation as she attempts to navigate her strange powers and to help whatever she’s brought back from the dead to move on as best she can.
At no point did the book become about LGBTQ representation; it didn’t feel forced and you were left with a lovely, natural slow developing relationship between Amy and Toni. Amy is super relatable as a girl who is struggling with who she is, her confidence and her mental wellbeing. Her friends are all super supportive and accepting when she opens up to them and tells the truth which is a nice little touch as generally that’s not the case when you have a novel filled with strong female characters.
I’m hoping that this isn’t the last we will hear from Amy, Toni and her friends and family. I feel like there’s a lot more that the author could do with these characters!
Thank you to BookSirens and the publisher for the free ARC of this book in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.
At no point did the book become about LGBTQ representation; it didn’t feel forced and you were left with a lovely, natural slow developing relationship between Amy and Toni. Amy is super relatable as a girl who is struggling with who she is, her confidence and her mental wellbeing. Her friends are all super supportive and accepting when she opens up to them and tells the truth which is a nice little touch as generally that’s not the case when you have a novel filled with strong female characters.
I’m hoping that this isn’t the last we will hear from Amy, Toni and her friends and family. I feel like there’s a lot more that the author could do with these characters!
Thank you to BookSirens and the publisher for the free ARC of this book in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.
theoface's review
3.0
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was charming in its own right, but i don't think I was the right audience. I kept leaving and coming back, but then forgetting what happened before so I had to keep going back and rereading. The characters felt a little two-dimensional at times and I had a hard time relating to them, even if I was rooting for the protagonist the entire way through. Would I give it another shot? Absolutely. The writing was good and when I did sit down and read for more than 20 minutes at a time, I enjoyed myself.
This book was charming in its own right, but i don't think I was the right audience. I kept leaving and coming back, but then forgetting what happened before so I had to keep going back and rereading. The characters felt a little two-dimensional at times and I had a hard time relating to them, even if I was rooting for the protagonist the entire way through. Would I give it another shot? Absolutely. The writing was good and when I did sit down and read for more than 20 minutes at a time, I enjoyed myself.
chuckslibrary's review
5.0
This book follows Amy who is a necromancer, all the females in her family have some form of power that relates to death. Amy normally brings back pets/animals but this story follows the first time she brings back a person. This time she brought back a 3 year old girl and tries to find out what happened to her.
I absolutely adored this book, I cannot wait for this author to write more books. I thought the pacing was similar to most mysteries I've read, where its very character driven for the first 60% then we get more plot driven parts. This was ideal as it made you really understand the characters and their motives.
Amy is a great character to follow, she is flawed and relatable. The story is very focused on the mystery surrounding the little girl but we do get a small hint of romance in the background. I couldn't put the book down and thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I absolutely adored this book, I cannot wait for this author to write more books. I thought the pacing was similar to most mysteries I've read, where its very character driven for the first 60% then we get more plot driven parts. This was ideal as it made you really understand the characters and their motives.
Amy is a great character to follow, she is flawed and relatable. The story is very focused on the mystery surrounding the little girl but we do get a small hint of romance in the background. I couldn't put the book down and thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
kodyreadseverything's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CW: child death, homophobia, terminal illness/death, police interaction, drug use, stillbirth, domestic violence, suicide attempt, child abuse
Characters: I loved the characters in this book. Amy was a relatable main character -- well-meaning but messy with questionable decisions made at times. Her family was also a lot of fun to learn about. Having an entire family of magical women made for a lot of hilariously nonchalant interactions about strange, morbid things. Her friends and love interest were also fun characters, but I feel like I didn't get as complete of a picture into who they were. I did, however, appreciate the diverse representation. I believe there was Black, Latinx, Asian, and non-binary representation within her friend group and love interest. I also appreciated the mental health representation. While I don't have personal experience with Amy's struggles, her experiences were well-written and vividly described. Other reviewers suggest that her depression and dissociative episodes were portrayed accurately, which gives even more weight to the descriptions.
Writing/Plot: I thought the plot was really interesting. I've never read a book with a necromancer MC before, so this was new and fun for me. Based on the summary, I was expecting more of a dark, dramatic conclusion. I was initially disappointed by the answer to the mystery, but it was a gut punch nonetheless. After sitting with it for a while, I'm actually glad the answer wasn't what I was expecting because I thought I had it figured out halfway through. However, if I had to critique one thing, I would say the ending felt a bit rushed. Once all of the answers were revealed, I felt as if the book ended rather quickly, and I think it could've benefited from perhaps one more chapter to wrap things up a little more satisfyingly.
Romance: While the MCs budding romance was definitely discussed, it was not a major plot point, which I was glad for. I have nothing against romantic storylines, But I think it would've felt forced if it had been more prevalent, given that the whole story takes place in I think under a week. As it ultimately unfolded, it felt gradual and natural.
*I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens and the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
Characters: I loved the characters in this book. Amy was a relatable main character -- well-meaning but messy with questionable decisions made at times. Her family was also a lot of fun to learn about. Having an entire family of magical women made for a lot of hilariously nonchalant interactions about strange, morbid things. Her friends and love interest were also fun characters, but I feel like I didn't get as complete of a picture into who they were. I did, however, appreciate the diverse representation. I believe there was Black, Latinx, Asian, and non-binary representation within her friend group and love interest. I also appreciated the mental health representation. While I don't have personal experience with Amy's struggles, her experiences were well-written and vividly described. Other reviewers suggest that her depression and dissociative episodes were portrayed accurately, which gives even more weight to the descriptions.
Writing/Plot: I thought the plot was really interesting. I've never read a book with a necromancer MC before, so this was new and fun for me. Based on the summary, I was expecting more of a dark, dramatic conclusion. I was initially disappointed by the answer to the mystery, but it was a gut punch nonetheless. After sitting with it for a while, I'm actually glad the answer wasn't what I was expecting because I thought I had it figured out halfway through. However, if I had to critique one thing, I would say the ending felt a bit rushed. Once all of the answers were revealed, I felt as if the book ended rather quickly, and I think it could've benefited from perhaps one more chapter to wrap things up a little more satisfyingly.
Romance: While the MCs budding romance was definitely discussed, it was not a major plot point, which I was glad for. I have nothing against romantic storylines, But I think it would've felt forced if it had been more prevalent, given that the whole story takes place in I think under a week. As it ultimately unfolded, it felt gradual and natural.
*I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens and the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*