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l1brarygirl's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Violence, and Abandonment
Minor: Death, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
fromjuliereads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don't even have words for how much I enjoyed this book! I read the entirety over my 4 day long weekend.
I was so invested in this story and the characters, and I just had to know what was going on. The story and the world really pulled me in. I loved the reveals, the bits and pieces that we got from all of the characters. I loved how magic and music played a part, and how forgetting was so integral to the story for multiple characters - how some chose it and some were forced without knowing.
I already loved Kristen Ciccarelli's writing from her previous works, and this has further cemented her as a favourite author. Definitely a YA fantasy standalone that I would recommend!
I was so invested in this story and the characters, and I just had to know what was going on. The story and the world really pulled me in. I loved the reveals, the bits and pieces that we got from all of the characters. I loved how magic and music played a part, and how forgetting was so integral to the story for multiple characters - how some chose it and some were forced without knowing.
I already loved Kristen Ciccarelli's writing from her previous works, and this has further cemented her as a favourite author. Definitely a YA fantasy standalone that I would recommend!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Toxic relationship and Pregnancy
alli_the_bookaholic13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Thank you to the publisher for an eARC for an honest review.
This was such an emotional story. Emeline’s emotions and fears about her grandfather were so strong, and so heartbreaking. Her love for him was incredible, and she was determined to do whatever she had to in order to save him.
I loved the fantasy elements here. It almost felt like I was reading a fairy tale. I thought the author did a great job of capturing the setting of the woods, and giving this fey kingdom a sense of otherworldliness.
Emeline was a complex character. She was striving to reach her goals and dreams of being a famous singer, and she was so close when her Pa went missing. The struggles she faced over following her dreams or rescuing her grandfather were really well written. I thought Emeline was a realistic character, and I was rooting for her the whole book.
I also liked Hawthorne’s character. He gave me some mysterious vibes from the beginning, and I was hooked on him. Sable and Grace were interesting characters too, and I would have loved to get more of them.
I thought the pacing was good in this one. The writing style flowed well, and it was easy to get swept up into the story of Emeline’s music.
This was such an emotional story. Emeline’s emotions and fears about her grandfather were so strong, and so heartbreaking. Her love for him was incredible, and she was determined to do whatever she had to in order to save him.
I loved the fantasy elements here. It almost felt like I was reading a fairy tale. I thought the author did a great job of capturing the setting of the woods, and giving this fey kingdom a sense of otherworldliness.
Emeline was a complex character. She was striving to reach her goals and dreams of being a famous singer, and she was so close when her Pa went missing. The struggles she faced over following her dreams or rescuing her grandfather were really well written. I thought Emeline was a realistic character, and I was rooting for her the whole book.
I also liked Hawthorne’s character. He gave me some mysterious vibes from the beginning, and I was hooked on him. Sable and Grace were interesting characters too, and I would have loved to get more of them.
I thought the pacing was good in this one. The writing style flowed well, and it was easy to get swept up into the story of Emeline’s music.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death, Rape, Blood, Dementia, and Abandonment
The rape is implied and it’s also off-page and historical.e_flah's review
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Edgewood is an atmospheric story that follows Emeline Lark who is on a quest to reclaim her grandfather, Pa, from the Wood King. The story is driven by both Emeline's internal struggle to figure out what really matters to her and also by several external conflicts tied to the faeries that live in the forest of Edgewood.
The prose was my favorite part of Edgewood. Ciccarelli's writing is incredibly evocative and makes the forest of Edgewood a really immersive setting. It was easy to get swept up in the lyrical prose, which also paired well with the tone of the story.
There are a lot of things going on in Edgewood that didn't quite come together into a cohesive story. The first portion of the book is largely character driven but our main character Emeline always felt a bit surface level to me. She defines herself by her love of music and desire to become a big-time musician. For a story where Emeline is a main source of story momentum, I needed more character development in order to care about whether she achieves her goals. Several of the plot points hinge on Emeline's character growth that just didn't seem believable given the little characterization provided.
The external conflicts around the forest of Edgewood and its inhabitants were entertaining. They helped provide some tension in the story and made for a more action-packed back half of Edgewood. There were plot arcs I wish had gotten a bit more attention but I think that's the trade-off of getting a standalone novel.
I would recommend Edgewood to readers who enjoy lyrical prose, slower-paced stories, and/or faeries.
Edgewood is an atmospheric story that follows Emeline Lark who is on a quest to reclaim her grandfather, Pa, from the Wood King. The story is driven by both Emeline's internal struggle to figure out what really matters to her and also by several external conflicts tied to the faeries that live in the forest of Edgewood.
The prose was my favorite part of Edgewood. Ciccarelli's writing is incredibly evocative and makes the forest of Edgewood a really immersive setting. It was easy to get swept up in the lyrical prose, which also paired well with the tone of the story.
There are a lot of things going on in Edgewood that didn't quite come together into a cohesive story. The first portion of the book is largely character driven but our main character Emeline always felt a bit surface level to me. She defines herself by her love of music and desire to become a big-time musician. For a story where Emeline is a main source of story momentum, I needed more character development in order to care about whether she achieves her goals. Several of the plot points hinge on Emeline's character growth that just didn't seem believable given the little characterization provided.
The external conflicts around the forest of Edgewood and its inhabitants were entertaining. They helped provide some tension in the story and made for a more action-packed back half of Edgewood. There were plot arcs I wish had gotten a bit more attention but I think that's the trade-off of getting a standalone novel.
I would recommend Edgewood to readers who enjoy lyrical prose, slower-paced stories, and/or faeries.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Abandonment
Minor: Toxic relationship
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