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cidneym 's review for:
The Library of Shadows
by Rachel Moore
*Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*
I was immediately hooked by the premise of this book, but felt that the pacing detracted from the strength of the story. The first half of the book was a bit clunky. There were moments where I felt as if I'd missed a chapter, and time did not move in a way that made sense. It seemed like the events of the story could have taken place over a week, or months. The second half was much stronger. Besides that, this is a great book to recommend to a young adult who wants paranormal romance, dark academia, mystery, and a boarding school setting. Fans of Netflix's Wednesday will definitely enjoy it.
Where the story fell short in its pacing, it made up for it in atmosphere. Radcliffe Prep and the library where Este works at night as an archival assistant made for a strong, intriguing setting. Este and Mateo's forced-allies relationship was compelling and has great appeal for teen readers.
Also, the other thing I just could not get behind or understand was.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because this is a solidly young adult title where a lot of recently published YA gravitates towards older YA/ New Adult in terms of content and romance. Overall, I would recommend adding this to a young adult collection! A solid purchase for school libraries.
I was immediately hooked by the premise of this book, but felt that the pacing detracted from the strength of the story. The first half of the book was a bit clunky. There were moments where I felt as if I'd missed a chapter, and time did not move in a way that made sense. It seemed like the events of the story could have taken place over a week, or months. The second half was much stronger. Besides that, this is a great book to recommend to a young adult who wants paranormal romance, dark academia, mystery, and a boarding school setting. Fans of Netflix's Wednesday will definitely enjoy it.
Where the story fell short in its pacing, it made up for it in atmosphere. Radcliffe Prep and the library where Este works at night as an archival assistant made for a strong, intriguing setting. Este and Mateo's forced-allies relationship was compelling and has great appeal for teen readers.
Also, the other thing I just could not get behind or understand was
Spoiler
the description of the Fades. The tension and terror that could have been conveyed was undermined by the constant descriptions of their ridiculous appearance3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because this is a solidly young adult title where a lot of recently published YA gravitates towards older YA/ New Adult in terms of content and romance. Overall, I would recommend adding this to a young adult collection! A solid purchase for school libraries.