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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5!!!! I loooved this. It was so different than anything I’d read before. It was a murder mystery with magic and romance that still felt so grounded in realism. I love Young’s writing and will definitely be reading her stuff as it comes out in the future. I liked this even better than June Farrow! Loved.
An island in Puget Sound with magic in its roots. A fire. A dead girl and a boy whom everyone thought had murdered her. Years later, Emery Blackwood has been going through the motions since her best friend's death and the love of her life, August, disappeared without a trace, the murder accusations having driven him away. But when August suddenly comes back to the island to bury his mother's ashes and cut his ties to it forever, Emery is compelled to uncover the truth. Has she defended a guilty man all these years? Or is there something far more sinister at play?
.
A small town mystery with a dash of witchcraft, Adrienne Young creates a haunting atmosphere right out of the gate with ethereal prose and eerie imagery. Multiple POVs will have you guessing whodunit until the very end. Although I began to suspect the main murder culprit about halfway through, this is far more than a murder mystery, with themes of vengeance, greed, and misplaced resolve. While magic plays a larger influence than even the characters know, the villain is very much human.
.
The pacing was excellent, giving us a little tidbits of information along the way to keep you turning pages. I loved the undeniable pull between August and Emery. I can't say I have much criticism, just that I wish there was a bit more excitement and I felt little emotion at the end. Have enjoyed all of Adrienne Young's books so far and will continue to seek them out.
.
A small town mystery with a dash of witchcraft, Adrienne Young creates a haunting atmosphere right out of the gate with ethereal prose and eerie imagery. Multiple POVs will have you guessing whodunit until the very end. Although I began to suspect the main murder culprit about halfway through, this is far more than a murder mystery, with themes of vengeance, greed, and misplaced resolve. While magic plays a larger influence than even the characters know, the villain is very much human.
.
The pacing was excellent, giving us a little tidbits of information along the way to keep you turning pages. I loved the undeniable pull between August and Emery. I can't say I have much criticism, just that I wish there was a bit more excitement and I felt little emotion at the end. Have enjoyed all of Adrienne Young's books so far and will continue to seek them out.
3.5 stars for this twisty, magical-ish read. It definitely kept me guessing and I really enjoyed the story. It was well-written. I enjoyed the magical undertones. The unraveling of the mystery was satisfying, though there is one part of the climax that seems a bit unbelievable, but overall it was well thought out. I did really like that part of the unveiling of the mystery did involve magic. So many times writers evoke some magic in their stories only to abandon it when solving the mystery. Unfortunately, some people in my book club felt like justice was not meted out to those who deserved it and I completely agree with them. There are characters in this story that did some really horrible things and still got exactly what they wanted. I felt like some of the characters who deserved that justice were really asking themselves what they really wanted and if the juice was worth the squeeze on the justice, so that is a large part of why it ended the way it did.
It was a satisfying read. I don’t know why I’m giving it a 3.5, but for some reason, I can’t give it a 4, huh?
It was a satisfying read. I don’t know why I’m giving it a 3.5, but for some reason, I can’t give it a 4, huh?
I'm not sure how I want to rate this... 3.5 stars out of 5 perhaps?
I've read most of Adrienne Young's books so far (Fable still being my favourite) and this is her first Adult book.
However it read just like her other books and I think YA readers will like this just as much.
It was a bit slow paced. The setting and feel of the book were great.
But one thing that I also found with some of her other books is that sometimes it takes a while and then the ending is suddenly rushed. Also, some characters deserve more backstory, or more from their point of view or something.
It is, however, a nice read and the story itself I really liked!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC, really appreciated it :)
I've read most of Adrienne Young's books so far (Fable still being my favourite) and this is her first Adult book.
However it read just like her other books and I think YA readers will like this just as much.
It was a bit slow paced. The setting and feel of the book were great.
But one thing that I also found with some of her other books is that sometimes it takes a while and then the ending is suddenly rushed. Also, some characters deserve more backstory, or more from their point of view or something.
It is, however, a nice read and the story itself I really liked!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC, really appreciated it :)
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this for the "Memory Words" prompt in Buzzwordathon but I've had Adrienne Young books on my list for a while.
Unfortunately, this was an excellent example of "Not for Me".
I fear that second-chance romance does not work for me when the reunited couple dated in high school and then, 14 years later, feel as thought no one could ever be more right for them. Emery was with Dutch for SIX years and kept thinking about how she really KNEW August. I get it. First love. But...
This book also did the thing where a character who has shown no flaws besides not being the person you really love suddenly becomes a creep. Dutch just became a cartoonish villain midway through.
Then we have Emery and August in high school who treated their leaving the island like escaping from a cult. August was leaving his abusive grandfather and the life he never wanted but Emery seemed to juts want...a bigger life? Weren't they planning on college? Did Saoirse have a lot of colleges? Emery kept acting as though it was a state secret that they were leaving. Even from their friends.
I guessed that maybe Lily's death was connected to spellwork and then started to think it was her attempt to keep Emery and August on the island. But, in another bizarrely evil turn, she wanted to drown Emery so that she could be with August and convince him Dutch's baby was his so Lily could reclaim the orchard that rightfully belonged to her family.
So her death became less tragic and more like karma.
And then, the orchard. The whole business with the town falsifying records to get the orchard away from August would've felt more important if he had actually wanted the orchard. He so clearly didn't. Once his grandfather died, no one thought they could maybe ask August for the orchard and have him sell it or deed it? We also spent so much time on Emery and August's love story that I barely understood WHY the orchard was so important. So the stakes did not feel high at all by the end.
Also, Emery being shocked that she was a suspect in her best friend's murder when she had been seen fighting with said friend hours earlier was crazy. Obviously you would be a suspect.
I can appreciate that this magical realism, contemporary fiction genre isn't for me but I do also think the book could've spent more time on the worldbuilding and the importance of the orchard and island than the romance between Emery and August (that was maybe still going because of a spell...which I don't love the implications of). Anyway it's a 3. And I somehow deleted this entire review on the last sentence so thank goodness for undo.
Unfortunately, this was an excellent example of "Not for Me".
I fear that second-chance romance does not work for me when the reunited couple dated in high school and then, 14 years later, feel as thought no one could ever be more right for them. Emery was with Dutch for SIX years and kept thinking about how she really KNEW August. I get it. First love. But...
This book also did the thing where a character who has shown no flaws besides not being the person you really love suddenly becomes a creep. Dutch just became a cartoonish villain midway through.
Then we have Emery and August in high school who treated their leaving the island like escaping from a cult. August was leaving his abusive grandfather and the life he never wanted but Emery seemed to juts want...a bigger life? Weren't they planning on college? Did Saoirse have a lot of colleges? Emery kept acting as though it was a state secret that they were leaving. Even from their friends.
I guessed that maybe Lily's death was connected to spellwork and then started to think it was her attempt to keep Emery and August on the island. But, in another bizarrely evil turn, she wanted to drown Emery so that she could be with August and convince him Dutch's baby was his so Lily could reclaim the orchard that rightfully belonged to her family.
So her death became less tragic and more like karma.
And then, the orchard. The whole business with the town falsifying records to get the orchard away from August would've felt more important if he had actually wanted the orchard. He so clearly didn't. Once his grandfather died, no one thought they could maybe ask August for the orchard and have him sell it or deed it? We also spent so much time on Emery and August's love story that I barely understood WHY the orchard was so important. So the stakes did not feel high at all by the end.
Also, Emery being shocked that she was a suspect in her best friend's murder when she had been seen fighting with said friend hours earlier was crazy. Obviously you would be a suspect.
I can appreciate that this magical realism, contemporary fiction genre isn't for me but I do also think the book could've spent more time on the worldbuilding and the importance of the orchard and island than the romance between Emery and August (that was maybe still going because of a spell...which I don't love the implications of). Anyway it's a 3. And I somehow deleted this entire review on the last sentence so thank goodness for undo.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes