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hannalizzy's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I had many issues with this book. So many parts of it were cringe, especially the meet cute. I will never forgive the author for the cringiest meet cute of all time. The dialogue is cringe, her “quirky jokes” are cringe, the way the two immediately fall in instant-love is cringe. It truly felt like a knockoff twilight in all the worst ways. The only thing that saved this book was the fact that it’s set at a magical school like Hogwarts. I just wish the main character had more personality. She felt so unbelievably flat. The love interest was totally hot tho, love that for him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent
bookedandbusy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved this book so much!! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
drewcy5a's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
paulaks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The short review and main lesson: Big book doesn't mean good book. Now let's break it down.
Characters: Ugh, the main character wanted to be so different that it hurt me as a reader. The background story and her flaws were based around the most basic trope "both of my parents died". Not that this isn't scaring and unrealistic, it's just over used and the easiest way to scar a character. The love interest was actually well down but also uncreative. A postive I want to mention is the diverse cast! She has done a great job at giving a little bit of their ethnicity away and leaving room of interpretation.
Cliché and Tropes: I don't know which category this will fit but I want to talk about the use of clichés. I'm not sure how to put it in words but the book wanted to be "not cliché" so bad but exactly that (a cliché / basic situation) happened over and over. As a reader this is so frustrating!!
The fantasy aspect: I was so amazed by the world building, honestly! It definitely helped to make it feel more cozy, tense, etc.. Where she went completely wrong in my opinion is unwrapping the actual fantasy. The MC is a normal person, so she spents 50%+ of the book discovering these mysterious beings. But why? It's literally so obvious? I don't get it, should it seem more realistic that she doesn't belive in e. g. magic? Which wouldn't make sense since she is a reader herself...
Last but not least, the end build-up: In the last (around) ten chapters it suddenly starts to be so chaotic for no reason!? I was so overwhelmed while being bored since it wasn't authentic anymore. Then, expecting closure it has an open ending-
Now you could think that my rating is too high for ranting that long about it, I honestly need to admit: I'm attached to the characters and the world and can't rate it lower :( Anyway, not gonna continue with the series. It takes to much energy.
Characters: Ugh, the main character wanted to be so different that it hurt me as a reader. The background story and her flaws were based around the most basic trope "both of my parents died". Not that this isn't scaring and unrealistic, it's just over used and the easiest way to scar a character. The love interest was actually well down but also uncreative. A postive I want to mention is the diverse cast! She has done a great job at giving a little bit of their ethnicity away and leaving room of interpretation.
Cliché and Tropes: I don't know which category this will fit but I want to talk about the use of clichés. I'm not sure how to put it in words but the book wanted to be "not cliché" so bad but exactly that (a cliché / basic situation) happened over and over. As a reader this is so frustrating!!
The fantasy aspect: I was so amazed by the world building, honestly! It definitely helped to make it feel more cozy, tense, etc.. Where she went completely wrong in my opinion is unwrapping the actual fantasy. The MC is a normal person, so she spents 50%+ of the book discovering these mysterious beings. But why? It's literally so obvious? I don't get it, should it seem more realistic that she doesn't belive in e. g. magic? Which wouldn't make sense since she is a reader herself...
Last but not least, the end build-up: In the last (around) ten chapters it suddenly starts to be so chaotic for no reason!? I was so overwhelmed while being bored since it wasn't authentic anymore. Then, expecting closure it has an open ending-
Now you could think that my rating is too high for ranting that long about it, I honestly need to admit: I'm attached to the characters and the world and can't rate it lower :( Anyway, not gonna continue with the series. It takes to much energy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Death, Medical content, and Death of parent
dkgreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
UPDATE: Re-reading since book 6 comes out next week. I still stand by my original review; this book was hella entertaining to me! I’m not sure I caught that it takes place in just one week the first time I read it though! Things sure escalated quickly! But it didn’t keep me from becoming super invested in Jaxon and Grace again, even though I know what’s coming…
ORIGINAL REVIEW: Oh man, this was campy and trope-y and great distraction! I’ve seen this book/series mentioned EVERYWHERE, but just never got around to it. I get some of the complaints that are lobbed around some of the less flattering reviews, but that didn’t make this any less entertaining for me. Sure, the world building and magic system could have been more fleshed out, but, in the book’s defense, it’s all from Grace’s POV and since *she* doesn’t know how things work, *we* don’t know how things work. I’m hoping that is rectified in the next book. But honestly, even if it’s not, I don’t think it’ll bother me too much—there’s enough drama to keep me coming back! My favorite thing though, hands down, had to be when Jaxon sent Grace a copy of Twilight because COME ON! THAT is freaking HILARIOUS! IYKYK 🤣
ORIGINAL REVIEW: Oh man, this was campy and trope-y and great distraction! I’ve seen this book/series mentioned EVERYWHERE, but just never got around to it. I get some of the complaints that are lobbed around some of the less flattering reviews, but that didn’t make this any less entertaining for me. Sure, the world building and magic system could have been more fleshed out, but, in the book’s defense, it’s all from Grace’s POV and since *she* doesn’t know how things work, *we* don’t know how things work. I’m hoping that is rectified in the next book. But honestly, even if it’s not, I don’t think it’ll bother me too much—there’s enough drama to keep me coming back! My favorite thing though, hands down, had to be when Jaxon sent Grace a copy of Twilight because COME ON! THAT is freaking HILARIOUS! IYKYK 🤣
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Death of parent
tscarey13's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Death of parent
bouebooks's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Murder
brooklynncm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Murder
michalaj10's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
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
3.5
Was this the best book I've ever read? Not even close
Will I read the rest of the series? Absolutley, they're my new guilty pleasure.
Will I read the rest of the series? Absolutley, they're my new guilty pleasure.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Death of parent
Minor: Cursing, Violence, and Grief
kelleykamanda's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
I would have loved this when I was a teenager and I understand that many people would find a lot of joy in this book. The writing was really difficult to get through. The text language (I.e. “af”) was rough. Also, the addition of the tropes- girl who is perfect with no personality has a guy who is a killer fall in love with her- hurt. I mean, this is definitely a Twilight fanfic, which for someone wanting that, might make it a perfect read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Gun violence