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alexan13's review against another edition
1.0
Sometimes a book is just badly written. This was one of those times.
eladams07's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bargainsleuth's review against another edition
4.0
For this and other book reviews, visit www.bargian-sleuth.com
The Rise and Fall of Ava Arcana is another Amazon First Reads selection for the month of March. Prime members could get this book for free one month before its April release. Most of the time the selections are big wins for me, exploring books I might not ever have tried. This wasn’t my first choice of book for the month, but I spent the few dollars on the Kindle book after hearing good things about the book.
I never get tired of dual timelines, and dual perspectives. In the most recent timeline, we meet Kayla, who has just landed a cover story for Rolling Stone magazine on Lexi Mayhem, a huge pop star. Kayla has followed Lexi’s career since she was playing bars in New York City more than a dozen years prior. She’s super excited to write about someone whose career she thinks she knows well and it’s a great opportunity for her career.
The other timeline involves Ava Arcana, a young lady trying to make it in the music industry, working at a cafe. That’s when she meets Lexi Mayhem and the two become thick as thieves. The two women are bound and determined to become rich and famous with their work.
In the modern timeline, we learn that Ava died 13 years ago, and the mystery of what really happened to her is what drives the story. The back-and-forth of the timelines is a slow burn, and the reader and Kayla suspect that Ava’s death by suicide is any such thing. There were some times when I didn’t think the backstory was well fleshed out and left a few more unanswered questions than I would have liked, but overall the story was compelling and well worth the read.
The Rise and Fall of Ava Arcana is another Amazon First Reads selection for the month of March. Prime members could get this book for free one month before its April release. Most of the time the selections are big wins for me, exploring books I might not ever have tried. This wasn’t my first choice of book for the month, but I spent the few dollars on the Kindle book after hearing good things about the book.
I never get tired of dual timelines, and dual perspectives. In the most recent timeline, we meet Kayla, who has just landed a cover story for Rolling Stone magazine on Lexi Mayhem, a huge pop star. Kayla has followed Lexi’s career since she was playing bars in New York City more than a dozen years prior. She’s super excited to write about someone whose career she thinks she knows well and it’s a great opportunity for her career.
The other timeline involves Ava Arcana, a young lady trying to make it in the music industry, working at a cafe. That’s when she meets Lexi Mayhem and the two become thick as thieves. The two women are bound and determined to become rich and famous with their work.
In the modern timeline, we learn that Ava died 13 years ago, and the mystery of what really happened to her is what drives the story. The back-and-forth of the timelines is a slow burn, and the reader and Kayla suspect that Ava’s death by suicide is any such thing. There were some times when I didn’t think the backstory was well fleshed out and left a few more unanswered questions than I would have liked, but overall the story was compelling and well worth the read.
smolfri's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
slow-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
2.5
sarahlreadseverything's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 rounding up.
I got sucked in by the mystery of it all towards the end, but overall this felt like Jennifer Banash was trying too hard to be Taylor Jenkins Reid and just not hitting the mark. The characters and the setting weren't evocative enough. I didn't see the ending coming, but mainly because (as other reviewers have also commented) I expected it to be twistier than it was.
That being said, if someone got ahold of it and just added that extra panache then this would make an excellent 'Inventing Anna' style screen adaptation.
I got sucked in by the mystery of it all towards the end, but overall this felt like Jennifer Banash was trying too hard to be Taylor Jenkins Reid and just not hitting the mark. The characters and the setting weren't evocative enough. I didn't see the ending coming, but mainly because (as other reviewers have also commented) I expected it to be twistier than it was.
That being said, if someone got ahold of it and just added that extra panache then this would make an excellent 'Inventing Anna' style screen adaptation.
callapam12's review against another edition
4.0
**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS**
I would first like to start out by saying that I was very unsure about this book to start with. I thought the plot was overused (friendship tarnished over a boy) and that the mystery element would be very predictable. I was wrong. Though, I can't give it a 5 out of 5.
Lexi and Ava's friendship blossoms over their love for music and their desire to make it big on the scene. It all comes crashing down when Lexi feels betrayed by Ava when she starts to date THEIR manager. (This feels a little immature for characters who are supposed to be in their twenties.) When Ava dies (was she pushed or did she jump???) Lexi's star rises and she becomes the IT girl of music.
Kayla comes on the scene in present day when her magazine, Rolling Stone, asks for a fluff piece on a pop star turned producer. As she follows her journalism gut Kayla digs into the backstory and finds out that there really is a story there...what a coincidence!
I fell in love with the characters, and the duel time-line storytelling was intriguing. The twist was bittersweet. I was excited to find out that my prediction was wrong (I was convinced that Jamie was behind it, and that as she got closer to figuring it out, Jamie was going to come after Kayla!) However, I was disappointed to find out that the culprit was a secondary character who felt like an afterthought.
All in all, clearly I loved the book; I finished in in two days (which is hard for a working mom!) but I was a little disappointed with the outcome.
I'd like to thank the author and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of the novel! It is worth reading!
I would first like to start out by saying that I was very unsure about this book to start with. I thought the plot was overused (friendship tarnished over a boy) and that the mystery element would be very predictable. I was wrong. Though, I can't give it a 5 out of 5.
Lexi and Ava's friendship blossoms over their love for music and their desire to make it big on the scene. It all comes crashing down when Lexi feels betrayed by Ava when she starts to date THEIR manager. (This feels a little immature for characters who are supposed to be in their twenties.) When Ava dies (was she pushed or did she jump???) Lexi's star rises and she becomes the IT girl of music.
Kayla comes on the scene in present day when her magazine, Rolling Stone, asks for a fluff piece on a pop star turned producer. As she follows her journalism gut Kayla digs into the backstory and finds out that there really is a story there...what a coincidence!
I fell in love with the characters, and the duel time-line storytelling was intriguing. The twist was bittersweet. I was excited to find out that my prediction was wrong (I was convinced that Jamie was behind it, and that as she got closer to figuring it out, Jamie was going to come after Kayla!) However, I was disappointed to find out that the culprit was a secondary character who felt like an afterthought.
All in all, clearly I loved the book; I finished in in two days (which is hard for a working mom!) but I was a little disappointed with the outcome.
I'd like to thank the author and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of the novel! It is worth reading!
bethd_elwell's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
shakeystacey's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
thefolklorefaery's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0