You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
4 stars for V.E. Schwab's devastating, beautiful new work.
I cannot believe I got an ARC for this book and that I get to meet her so soon !!! Ok, now that that's out of the way — I really, really liked this one. I was a little worried about how I would feel because I honestly haven't read a lot of sapphic romances before, but wow, I was completely blown away and really enjoyed it.
Every time I try to review a book by V.E. Schwab I never know how to describe it. This book is about so much more than vampires or romance. It is about grief and hunger and feeling like you matter. It's about freedom and revenge and anger and love. It's about humanity and empathy and compassion, and the lack thereof.
That being said, man, I STRUGGLED with the first like 50% of this book. The writing, while undeniably beautiful, was just so, so slow. The pacing really got to me and I didn't feel motivated to read it at all.
But I'm glad I finally locked in because man, the second half is brilliant. But because it lagged a bit for me, I decided to give it four stars. I also really enjoyed how strikingly unique each of our three main characters are. It made for a varied and fun reading experience!
I don't think I have ever read a vampire novel that as unique as this one. In the same vein as Addie LaRue, V.E. Schwab has crafted a beautiful work that goes beyond what is on the pages.
I cannot believe I got an ARC for this book and that I get to meet her so soon !!! Ok, now that that's out of the way — I really, really liked this one. I was a little worried about how I would feel because I honestly haven't read a lot of sapphic romances before, but wow, I was completely blown away and really enjoyed it.
Every time I try to review a book by V.E. Schwab I never know how to describe it. This book is about so much more than vampires or romance. It is about grief and hunger and feeling like you matter. It's about freedom and revenge and anger and love. It's about humanity and empathy and compassion, and the lack thereof.
That being said, man, I STRUGGLED with the first like 50% of this book. The writing, while undeniably beautiful, was just so, so slow. The pacing really got to me and I didn't feel motivated to read it at all.
But I'm glad I finally locked in because man, the second half is brilliant. But because it lagged a bit for me, I decided to give it four stars. I also really enjoyed how strikingly unique each of our three main characters are. It made for a varied and fun reading experience!
I don't think I have ever read a vampire novel that as unique as this one. In the same vein as Addie LaRue, V.E. Schwab has crafted a beautiful work that goes beyond what is on the pages.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Aside from being stuck with an unlikable character for about 1/3 of the book, the interesting bits revolved around the psychological changes to becoming undead. Who would stand the test of time? No one! I understand the importance of flaws, but what was the importance of forcing the audience to spend so much story time with Sabine? We got the necessary information for the do's and don't's of being a vamp, including the specific powersets, but I feel like the entire structure should have been different. I think Charlotte had the most compelling story of the three, showcasing the influence of Sabine and the true nature of living as a vampire for so many centuries. The ending was, satisfactory, at best, but the execution was a bit of a letdown. Maybe that was to illustrate Charlotte's diminished humanity and selfishness. I mean, Alice pretty much told us that, but wouldn't it be so much more interesting if Charlotte were the main character?
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
“What grows in the midnight soil is not a different flower, only a bolder bloom.”
I really enjoyed the different perspectives we get in this book. Sabine, Charlotte, and Alice are all so different and have such a different hunger within them that drives them. It was really interesting to read each of their perspectives and seeing how their stories came together. Sabine’s perspective was my favorite to read though. The epitome of me supporting a woman’s rights and a woman’s wrongs, but I found her journey to be so fascinating.
The last 30% of the book really did drag a bit, in my opinion — I found myself wanting the story to get back on track and was kind of losing patience, but even within that I still really enjoyed the writing itself. V. E. Schwab really has a way of bringing a scene to life without using a bunch of unnecessary imagery which I appreciate. The ending did leave me wanting just a bit more, but I didn’t mind it and thought it wrapped up the story nicely.
“Death comes, and sometimes it is kind, and often it is cruel, and very rarely it is welcome. But it comes, all the same.”
I really enjoyed the different perspectives we get in this book. Sabine, Charlotte, and Alice are all so different and have such a different hunger within them that drives them. It was really interesting to read each of their perspectives and seeing how their stories came together. Sabine’s perspective was my favorite to read though. The epitome of me supporting a woman’s rights and a woman’s wrongs, but I found her journey to be so fascinating.
The last 30% of the book really did drag a bit, in my opinion — I found myself wanting the story to get back on track and was kind of losing patience, but even within that I still really enjoyed the writing itself. V. E. Schwab really has a way of bringing a scene to life without using a bunch of unnecessary imagery which I appreciate. The ending did leave me wanting just a bit more, but I didn’t mind it and thought it wrapped up the story nicely.
“Death comes, and sometimes it is kind, and often it is cruel, and very rarely it is welcome. But it comes, all the same.”
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Its about 3 women but we mostly just get Alice and Sabine povs till 60% of the way thru and then we get Charlotte so until 60% of the way through there was no real understanding of what was going on and why wer'e learning about these women. Alice's povs felt like they were reiterating the same point until the end of the book, quiet wallflower that looks up to her sister. Its beautifully written, but the book could have been shorter ngl.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes