Scan barcode
A review by ashley_mrose530
When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was a good book. It kept me engaged and interested the whole time and I loved getting to know the characters as well.
I thought the plot was so interesting. Being a chaotic reader I never re-read the synopsis of a book before I read it so I had no idea that this book was going to be about a murder, so jumping right into that was probably what kept my interest the most. It really was off to the races right away.
But despite jumping into the thick of it right away, this book was more of a character study of the relationships between the girls rather than a more murder-mystery type thriller. And I enjoyed that especially since it was in conjunction of what the girls were going to do now.
All of that being said, I do think it fell kind of short in both the plot and the relationship developments.
The plot didn't end right for me. They finally got the guy's body put back together and it looked like he was alive but he wasn't? And then he just dies. It wraps up the investigation for sure but, since this was a character study kind of book, I felt like Alexis should have been dealing with that finality a little more than what the author gave us. The whole book they were all operating on the thought that they might be able to bring him back to life and I feel like the finality of him dying should have affected her more than it showed at the end of the book. Because we didn't get this, the ending really felt incomplete to me.
I also really feel like there were too many characters and their relationships for this short of a book. We obviously need Alexis and Rayna and I can see an argument for Polly and Iris too but the other two really got lost in everything and I honestly couldn't even tell them apart especially since their names were similar as well. Since the main point of this book was to focus on their relationships to each other, it was really disappointing to see that.
I did enjoy this book overall though which is why the rating is where it's at.
I thought the plot was so interesting. Being a chaotic reader I never re-read the synopsis of a book before I read it so I had no idea that this book was going to be about a murder, so jumping right into that was probably what kept my interest the most. It really was off to the races right away.
But despite jumping into the thick of it right away, this book was more of a character study of the relationships between the girls rather than a more murder-mystery type thriller. And I enjoyed that especially since it was in conjunction of what the girls were going to do now.
All of that being said, I do think it fell kind of short in both the plot and the relationship developments.
The plot didn't end right for me.
I also really feel like there were too many characters and their relationships for this short of a book. We obviously need Alexis and Rayna and I can see an argument for Polly and Iris too but the other two really got lost in everything and I honestly couldn't even tell them apart especially since their names were similar as well. Since the main point of this book was to focus on their relationships to each other, it was really disappointing to see that.
I did enjoy this book overall though which is why the rating is where it's at.