Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
The Everlys are cursed. For centuries, someone in their family disappears. They are taken by a woman named Penelope that never ages, and never forgets. The Everlys have no idea what their ancestors did to get on her bad side, but that makes no difference to Penelope.
Violet Everlys mother disappeared on a rainy night when she was little. Now that she's older, Penelope will take her unless Violet's mother returns to her. Violet's uncles thought Penelope took her. Now they have to find her or lose Violet forever.
This was one of most anticipated reads. Sadly, I didn't love it. I didn't like the writing style, it felt like most of it was told in conversations. The middle of the book was a slog. And I didn't like any of the characters enough to care what happened to them. 3 stars is generous, it's maybe a 2.5.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
Violet Everlys mother disappeared on a rainy night when she was little. Now that she's older, Penelope will take her unless Violet's mother returns to her. Violet's uncles thought Penelope took her. Now they have to find her or lose Violet forever.
This was one of most anticipated reads. Sadly, I didn't love it. I didn't like the writing style, it felt like most of it was told in conversations. The middle of the book was a slog. And I didn't like any of the characters enough to care what happened to them. 3 stars is generous, it's maybe a 2.5.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
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:
No
The City of Stardust was one of those enigmatic books that I wasn’t sure if it would live up to its premise (or gorgeous cover, because honestly I DO judge books by their covers!). In the end, I remember absolutely adoring this book, and I’m super disappointed I waited so long to write this review. The comps to Strange the Dreamer and The Night Circus (or, for many, The Starless Sea, which I have not yet read) are valid. It also felt Gaiman-esque with a dash of City of Glass by Cassie Clare. Fans of The Shades of Magic would probably enjoy this, but this is more whimsical whereas those have more depth of plot.
I enjoyed this book so much I immediately went and found myself a copy of this gorgeous Fairyloot edition! It was truly The Night Circus vibes for me because Violet and Aleksander gravitate toward and around each other, and I just never could guess what they would do next. While this isn’t a romance, it does have romantic moments. The missing family members and the mystery and ultimate conclusion were all quite juicy morsels in a book that was heavily atmospheric.
I gave the audiobook five stars, I liked the new-to-me narrator, and I’ll definitely check out other work by Georgia Summers!
Every once in a while, I have the privlidge of picking up a book written so beautifully that it actually hurts that the world the author created isn't real.
The first time this happened, it was Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea. The second time, it was Alix E Harrow's The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and now I can say the same about Georgia Summer's The City of Stardust.
Summer's has managed to put a dark spin on the collective dream to be able to open a door to anywhere. A captivating novel.
I would also recommend the audiobook, which was wonderfully narrated.
The first time this happened, it was Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea. The second time, it was Alix E Harrow's The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and now I can say the same about Georgia Summer's The City of Stardust.
Summer's has managed to put a dark spin on the collective dream to be able to open a door to anywhere. A captivating novel.
I would also recommend the audiobook, which was wonderfully narrated.
This was a wonderful book. I loved the writing style, the curse and the feel of the book. I think it lost track of what it was half way through the book, but it was written beautifully.
It had some killer quotes!
“What else is a curse but this? Love, stretched and wrapped beyond all meaning.”
A curse can be many things. A wish left out to spoil in the sun, putrid and soft, leaving behind only calcified desire and oxidized envy. Or a poisoned chalice, a mistake tattooed across and entire family tree, with every generation promising, vowing to never sip until they do. Sometimes, it’s a deal and bad luck conspiring like old grifted closing in on an easy mark. For the Everlys, it begins with stardust.”
Such beautiful quotes that are beautifully written. I don’t think I’ve read a book where I loved the writing style of the author so much.
It had some killer quotes!
“What else is a curse but this? Love, stretched and wrapped beyond all meaning.”
A curse can be many things. A wish left out to spoil in the sun, putrid and soft, leaving behind only calcified desire and oxidized envy. Or a poisoned chalice, a mistake tattooed across and entire family tree, with every generation promising, vowing to never sip until they do. Sometimes, it’s a deal and bad luck conspiring like old grifted closing in on an easy mark. For the Everlys, it begins with stardust.”
Such beautiful quotes that are beautifully written. I don’t think I’ve read a book where I loved the writing style of the author so much.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Im going to have to mark this as a DNF. It was just too slow!
Like, it's really freakin pretty and feels like a haunting fairytale. Which is, in fact, my shit.
But i think i got about half way through??? And was still feeling like it was a back story. Like we haven't gotten to the meat of things.
Maybe I'll revisit when I'm not in the mood for grotesque gothic romances?
Like, it's really freakin pretty and feels like a haunting fairytale. Which is, in fact, my shit.
But i think i got about half way through??? And was still feeling like it was a back story. Like we haven't gotten to the meat of things.
Maybe I'll revisit when I'm not in the mood for grotesque gothic romances?
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved parts of this book but also did not love other parts. In particular, the way the Everly curse comes out and Marianne’s ending left me feeling confused and bereft. Also Violet and Aleksander if I’m being brutally honest. Parts of the ending were satisfying but not all of it ☹️ ALSO. The slow drops of reveals about the world and magic etc etc dis not work for me because as the layers peeled back I felt a bit lost. Some of the third person innocent bits really took me out of it.
TL:DR it’s creative and engaging but also confusing and doesn’t quite land all the jumps in the program.
TL:DR it’s creative and engaging but also confusing and doesn’t quite land all the jumps in the program.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced