A review by _chrstnlvly
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Reread review:

So, I reread this, and I gotta say, she's really getting on my nerves with the way she's been acting. Do you think she'll wise up in the next books, or am I stuck with her foolishness? It's seriously making me grind my teeth.

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First read review:

Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don't feel anything at all.

I should get this out of the way: this is not young adult. I think it's more fitting to be new adult.

At first, I was bored to death. I know this is the first book in the series, so world-building was needed. The world-building didn't bother me - the pacing of the story did. It was too slow for my liking, that it put me in a reading slump. However, about 60% in, the story picked up, and it kept me interested.

The writing was good and easy to understand (this is my first SJM book). The fantasy elements were great. The fight/action scenes, especially the 3 trials, kept me on my toes. During the first half of the book, I was questioning the hype. Now, I understand it.

It was my first time reading this series and I'm glad I finally gave in. I'm glad I have the complete set, so I'll get to read the next books anytime I want.

I read some people were irritated with Feyre because she didn't solve the riddle immediately. I think they forgot she was basically illiterate. She didn't know how to read so figuring out the riddle was hard for her. Still, I do agree that she was sometimes an idiot, not because she was uneducated, but because she was too focused on her emotions (I guess that's her I'm-not-like-other-girls story).

As for Rhysand, I was indifferent at first. But by page 382, he won me over.

I was expecting to hate Nesta because many people said they hated her even in ACOTAR. Unsuprisingly, I didn't hate her because I related to her.

I could have rated this 5 stars, but the pacing at the first half really bothered me.

Now I can finally watch Cari Can Read's "here's the entire plot of ACOTAR so you don't have to read 500 pages (a court of thorns and roses)" video.
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