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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty but no beautiful pirate prince. 😭
adventurous
mysterious
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
It was a little slow to start off but after about 50 pages the story moved along nicely. The dialogue from the MMC is *chefs kiss*. I can’t wait for book 2!
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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
5 stars!!! No spoilers, just vibes - and an appreciation post for neurospicy visibility which I will start with...
This was the first book I (a late diagnosed AuDHDer) have read where I felt recognised and seen ❤ as it actually depicted ADHD symptoms accurately instead of a character just being "kooky"!!!
Kelsey, you did an amazing job of writing Celeste and showing the indecision, impulsiveness, shame/regret and fear that is a huge part of what people feel when they grow up (often undiagnosed) with a neurodivergent condition - there was so much of how Celeste felt or thought that really resonated with me that I kept getting really emotional over (shockingly!). The dedication had me in tears (IYKYK) and throughout the book you showed just how frustrating and damaging the effects of emotional dysregulation can be. When Celeste says she hates crying, I highlighted, underlined and starred the quote, then wrote ME TOO!!!!! right next to it.
To ANYONE complaining about the crying in other reviews - Well done, you have fantastically somehow both missed and highlighted the issues people with emotional dysregulation have to suffer. I honestly got so mad at some of these posts - there's honest/constructive and then there's nasty. Stop polluting the internet until you learn the difference.
ANYWAY, as well as having a FMC who isn't a copy-paste of a whole load of FMCs out there, there are so many other aspects of this book that I really enjoyed:
- Characters - I need Kiyami in my life - I was so scared that she was going to double cross Celeste (hello fear of rejection!) - I saw her character as the catalyst for Celeste's healing as she was a truly "safe" person for Celeste to rely on. Torben is an absolute chaotic delight, I love him and Nassir. Raiden giving major Hook vibes made my year - did any other OUAT fans have Regina calling him Captain Guyliner going through their heads??
- As someone who draws connections from everything, this books was full of Easter eggs for me! I got huge Tangled vibes from Velluno and the festival, and I have already mentioned fangirling over Hook - sorry, Raiden - but there was one quote that absolutely got me - "The part where you said my name". Kelsey, I hope with my entire being that you are quoting Ever After here, and if you are, you have my eternal love and gratitude, it's my favourite film and that line was an immaculate nod to it.
I love fairy tale retellings and I am so excited about where this is going - the ending for me left just the right amount of questions unanswered and sets the start of book 2 up wonderfully.
Congratulations on a brilliant debut Kelsey, thanks for making the girls who are told they cry too much feel seen.
This was the first book I (a late diagnosed AuDHDer) have read where I felt recognised and seen ❤ as it actually depicted ADHD symptoms accurately instead of a character just being "kooky"!!!
Kelsey, you did an amazing job of writing Celeste and showing the indecision, impulsiveness, shame/regret and fear that is a huge part of what people feel when they grow up (often undiagnosed) with a neurodivergent condition - there was so much of how Celeste felt or thought that really resonated with me that I kept getting really emotional over (shockingly!). The dedication had me in tears (IYKYK) and throughout the book you showed just how frustrating and damaging the effects of emotional dysregulation can be. When Celeste says she hates crying, I highlighted, underlined and starred the quote, then wrote ME TOO!!!!! right next to it.
To ANYONE complaining about the crying in other reviews - Well done, you have fantastically somehow both missed and highlighted the issues people with emotional dysregulation have to suffer. I honestly got so mad at some of these posts - there's honest/constructive and then there's nasty. Stop polluting the internet until you learn the difference.
ANYWAY, as well as having a FMC who isn't a copy-paste of a whole load of FMCs out there, there are so many other aspects of this book that I really enjoyed:
- Characters - I need Kiyami in my life - I was so scared that she was going to double cross Celeste (hello fear of rejection!) - I saw her character as the catalyst for Celeste's healing as she was a truly "safe" person for Celeste to rely on. Torben is an absolute chaotic delight, I love him and Nassir. Raiden giving major Hook vibes made my year - did any other OUAT fans have Regina calling him Captain Guyliner going through their heads??
- As someone who draws connections from everything, this books was full of Easter eggs for me! I got huge Tangled vibes from Velluno and the festival, and I have already mentioned fangirling over Hook - sorry, Raiden - but there was one quote that absolutely got me - "The part where you said my name". Kelsey, I hope with my entire being that you are quoting Ever After here, and if you are, you have my eternal love and gratitude, it's my favourite film and that line was an immaculate nod to it.
I love fairy tale retellings and I am so excited about where this is going - the ending for me left just the right amount of questions unanswered and sets the start of book 2 up wonderfully.
Congratulations on a brilliant debut Kelsey, thanks for making the girls who are told they cry too much feel seen.
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The main character pretends to not be able to speak for the majority of the book, despite the main love interest already knowing that she is a siren I found it extremely aggravating when they were playing elaborate games of charades, when she was fully capable of speech the whole time.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
I'm sad because I didn't realize this wasn't a standalone, and now I've been left on a cliffhanger 😭
The ending got excited but the rest was almost a dnf
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-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