A review by jackieyvette
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

adventurous slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I didn’t love it, I didn’t like it, but I also didn’t hate it. It just kind of exists in my mind now. 
Not one character is really likeable. Jude is almost too much for her own good. She switches her feeling around so many times and so quickly it gives you whiplash. You can chalk it up to a teenage girl not knowing what she wants, but this is a whole other level. 
I know the title is “the cruel prince”, but it was over the top. Both love interests are disgusting and vile beings that have no redemption. I cannot root for a villain who is just out right cruel for the hell of it if I don’t get some sort of backstory or redemption ark that isn’t just him being mean for the whole book and then randomly in the last 40 pages being forced to be likeable. 
I feel like I could have liked Vivi if she had a bigger part, but she got about 3 pages worth of dialogue so she never even had a chance. 

Crying score: nah, don’t ask again. 

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