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momof2precious1s's review against another edition
4.0
I won this book from bookish first in exchange for my honest review. This is the first book that I have read by Amy Rose Capetta. I usually donโt read the fantasy genre but I was pleasantly surprised with the storyline. Teodora is a young lady that has to learn how and when to use the magical power that she has. Her power allows her to transform her enemies into decorative objects. Her power is called Strega- everyone believes that they are not real and only exist in fairy tales. She tries to keep her power a secret. She meets Cielo on the mountains and from there on their lives are intertwined. Reading this story made me wonder what this world would be like if such magical powers actually existed.
madimomreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.75
jaimes_mystical_library's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
This was such a fun read! I loved the original storyline and unique magic system. I really enjoyed Teoโs character and her overall journey. I did find myself losing a little bit of interest in the middle of this book, but then it regained my full attention ๐ If you enjoy ya fantasy books, you should definitely check this one out!
kiiouex's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book was going to wrap up and have a real ending, and now I am Booboo the Fool.
ummm it's not bad! it's interesting! the two main characters have real chemistry, the flavours of magic people have are fanciful and distinct, the mafia stuff is appealing (yet brief) and the genderqueer stuff isn't bad. The plot kinda devolved as it went along, tho, and then the non-ending is a real mood killer for me. book 1 was not convincing enough to require a purchase of book 2, and content-at-the-end was weird and disappointing. Unfortunate! But this is the right book for Someone, because again, the magic and the relationship and the characters are all nice enough, I'm just getting Tired of YA as a genre so it would take a pretty strong argument to convince me to take a trip to sequel town at this point.
ummm it's not bad! it's interesting! the two main characters have real chemistry, the flavours of magic people have are fanciful and distinct, the mafia stuff is appealing (yet brief) and the genderqueer stuff isn't bad. The plot kinda devolved as it went along, tho, and then the non-ending is a real mood killer for me. book 1 was not convincing enough to require a purchase of book 2, and content-at-the-end was weird and disappointing. Unfortunate! But this is the right book for Someone, because again, the magic and the relationship and the characters are all nice enough, I'm just getting Tired of YA as a genre so it would take a pretty strong argument to convince me to take a trip to sequel town at this point.
snchard's review against another edition
5.0
Genderfluid main character AND genderfluid love interest?! I love this magic system, and the politics, and how they blend together. This is the best. A+++
line's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
anxiousdaydreamer's review against another edition
5.0
This was really good. I really got invested in the characters quickly, and the setting was very nicely done. The whole story was so well written, I felt like I was watching a movie while reading this book. I can't wait to see if there will be a sequel.
justmeandmybooks_'s review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
This book was FANTASTIC.
Wait no, sorry, let me try again, I don't think I was clear enough. THIS BOOK WAS REALLY FANTASTIC AND AMAZING AND I LOVED IT SO SO SO MUCH GO READ THIS BOOK.
There we go. That was better.
What? I haven't convinced you to read it yet? Okay fine. Here is a list of (some of) the reasons why you need to read this book:
- The wonderful world building! I fell completely in love with this world. It felt so real and rich and complex. I wanted to know so much more about it, not because it was underdeveloped, but because it was incredibly well developed and focused only on a small amount of the world, leaving me desperate to know more. We were peeking into a small section of a much larger world. And I freaking loved that.
- The cool magic! I meant to lump this in with world building but then I rambled too much so now it's getting it's own section. I adored the magic system in this book! It was unique and dark and well thought out, and I was fascinated by it.
- The queer rep! During this book our main character Teo is questioning their gender identity (I don't know how exactly they identify, but they're very clearly not cis), and Teo's love interest Cielo is genderfluid(!!!).
- Teo! Teo is such a fantastic character and I really freaking love them! So is Cielo! Cielo is my favourite! They're such a wonderful character! I also love the dynamic these two have ๐๐
I will admit the pacing was pretty off, and the plot wasn't necessarily super strong either, but overall? I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH OH MY GOD!!! GO READ IT. YOU WON'T REGRET IT.
***Initial Reaction, January 28, 2019***
This book was so unique, and weird, and cool, and amazing and AHHHHHH I LOVED IT SO MUCH!! I had a few minor quibbles, but IT WAS SO GOOD. Go read it. Right now. RTC.
This book was FANTASTIC.
Wait no, sorry, let me try again, I don't think I was clear enough. THIS BOOK WAS REALLY FANTASTIC AND AMAZING AND I LOVED IT SO SO SO MUCH GO READ THIS BOOK.
There we go. That was better.
What? I haven't convinced you to read it yet? Okay fine. Here is a list of (some of) the reasons why you need to read this book:
- The wonderful world building! I fell completely in love with this world. It felt so real and rich and complex. I wanted to know so much more about it, not because it was underdeveloped, but because it was incredibly well developed and focused only on a small amount of the world, leaving me desperate to know more. We were peeking into a small section of a much larger world. And I freaking loved that.
- The cool magic! I meant to lump this in with world building but then I rambled too much so now it's getting it's own section. I adored the magic system in this book! It was unique and dark and well thought out, and I was fascinated by it.
- The queer rep! During this book our main character Teo is questioning their gender identity (I don't know how exactly they identify, but they're very clearly not cis), and Teo's love interest Cielo is genderfluid(!!!).
- Teo! Teo is such a fantastic character and I really freaking love them! So is Cielo! Cielo is my favourite! They're such a wonderful character! I also love the dynamic these two have ๐๐
I will admit the pacing was pretty off, and the plot wasn't necessarily super strong either, but overall? I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH OH MY GOD!!! GO READ IT. YOU WON'T REGRET IT.
***Initial Reaction, January 28, 2019***
This book was so unique, and weird, and cool, and amazing and AHHHHHH I LOVED IT SO MUCH!! I had a few minor quibbles, but IT WAS SO GOOD. Go read it. Right now. RTC.
morawynsmom's review against another edition
3.0
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, this book is unlike anything I have ever read. The setting was a beautiful, Italian-inspired world, I loved the feel of the five families, and the lush, lyrical descriptions. Teo and Cielo were such amazing characters, we got not one, but two gender fluid characters, and the author did a brilliant job with both of them and their struggles/ feelings/ thoughts when it came to their transformations and their romantic feelings. I gave this three stars because I feel like there were parts of the story that were not as fleshed out as they should have been, like the transformation of Teo's older brother into an Owl, the death of her younger brother and her feelings with that, the two girls who were building an army and their feelings, I cannot quite explain it but there was something left to be desired with this book and I wanted so much more. I wanted of the back-story of the Strega and more with Teo's family, or even Cielo's back story. I wanted more from Teo's own use of her magic and her feelings toward that. I will for sure pick up another book by this author, I think the rep and the magic and the beautiful world were amazing, but, like most YA books I have read recently, there was just something missing for me in this book.
First of all, this book is unlike anything I have ever read. The setting was a beautiful, Italian-inspired world, I loved the feel of the five families, and the lush, lyrical descriptions. Teo and Cielo were such amazing characters, we got not one, but two gender fluid characters, and the author did a brilliant job with both of them and their struggles/ feelings/ thoughts when it came to their transformations and their romantic feelings. I gave this three stars because I feel like there were parts of the story that were not as fleshed out as they should have been, like the transformation of Teo's older brother into an Owl, the death of her younger brother and her feelings with that, the two girls who were building an army and their feelings, I cannot quite explain it but there was something left to be desired with this book and I wanted so much more. I wanted of the back-story of the Strega and more with Teo's family, or even Cielo's back story. I wanted more from Teo's own use of her magic and her feelings toward that. I will for sure pick up another book by this author, I think the rep and the magic and the beautiful world were amazing, but, like most YA books I have read recently, there was just something missing for me in this book.
riverdogbookco's review against another edition
3.0
A gender-bending queer fantasy full of magic, political intrigue, and complicated family dynamics set in a 19th century Italian-inspired land.