Reviews

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Before We Disappear was a magical ride! In it, you will meet Jack and Laszlo. Honestly, they were adorable in every single way. Plus the magic, tension, and rivalry just made me devour this book even more. I'll also admit that I was getting some Disney Channel vibe (the original movie's of course) with 'Now You See It..'

Don't ask me why but the magic in this book automatically made me flashback to this little gem of a movie. It's weird - I know.. but that's just how my brain worked. It also probably made me enjoy this book a lot more.

Other than that, the romance and the characters themselves were simply amazing. A bit predictable at times but I enjoyed the magical ride anyway. Heck, that ending was freaking cute and it made me very happy with how things turned out. I can't wait for more people to dive into this little gem and fall in love.

booklover160's review against another edition

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4.0

I DID IT. I FINISHED IT IN JANUARY! Silly achievement aside, this was not what I was expecting... but in a good way.

TW:

Spoiler

abuse (physical and mental), parental abuse, kidnapping, death, torture, racism

This was much darker than I anticipated. Luckily, Tiff, my readalong partner, warned me of the triggers in the book and while it softened the blow at the start, the lengths of the abuse at the end made me queasy.

But this is still a romance after all. And the first kiss scene was so magical and sweet and lovely, it made me believe in love a thousandfold.

For the pros, the writing was definitely magical and engaging. I liked the flowery language when the boys got all lovey-dovey and yet the magic tricks were so well described, I was holding my breath reading. I LOVED Wil and Jack. They were so well-rounded and their stories broke my heart. I LOVED the whole cast of characters (other than the baddies who were just plain evil) and I was surprised at how passionately I felt for them by the end.

But it wasn't perfect. I really feel that at least 100 pages could have been cut. The end felt like it was dragged out WAY too long and the final trick was way too fast. I thought the end felt a little too neatly tied up, but I also could have read a whole nother novel about our boys.

Overall, this was super interesting and well written for a story about two magical boys who fall in love in 1909. I look forward to more from this author.

nutmegandselkie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

Content Warnings

aspenandcopper's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted 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

4.5

Content Warnings

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