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A review by savvyrosereads
The Awakening by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Rating: 3/5 stars
Twins Tory and Darcy learn they’re the long-lost heirs to the throne of Solaria—if they can graduate from a magic school where most of the student body wants them dead.
Eh? I was warned that the writing of this series left a bit to be desired, so I went in prepared, but I cannot stress enough that the writing is…not good. If you need top-tier writing to fully enjoy a book series, this is not for you—there are a lot of grammar/punctuation issues, the pacing is bizarre, there are loads of ridiculous cliche phrases (and the use of random out-of-context Spanish words to make sure we realize one of the characters is Latinx). The plot was also a little bonkers, and each of the characters made a series of bad decisions and overall drove me nuts.
That said, the world these books are set in is unique and pretty fun, and I found myself intrigued by the magic system and generally wanting to know what would happen next. My friend Hannah has compared these to movie theater popcorn, and I totally agree with that. Is it the best meal? No. Will you keep eating it if there’s a bowl sitting in front of you? Yes. For that reason, I’m definitely going to continue the series (though I don’t expect to go that quickly, which is why I’m planning to do individual reviews as I go!)
Recommended if you like: books about magic boarding schools, yes including the one you’re thinking of right now; dark/bully romance (I’m told—there was very little romance, dark or otherwise, in this one); popcorn fantasy
CW: Loads of violence/bullying/attempted murder; discussion of death of parents; references to foster care abuse/neglect
Twins Tory and Darcy learn they’re the long-lost heirs to the throne of Solaria—if they can graduate from a magic school where most of the student body wants them dead.
Eh? I was warned that the writing of this series left a bit to be desired, so I went in prepared, but I cannot stress enough that the writing is…not good. If you need top-tier writing to fully enjoy a book series, this is not for you—there are a lot of grammar/punctuation issues, the pacing is bizarre, there are loads of ridiculous cliche phrases (and the use of random out-of-context Spanish words to make sure we realize one of the characters is Latinx). The plot was also a little bonkers, and each of the characters made a series of bad decisions and overall drove me nuts.
That said, the world these books are set in is unique and pretty fun, and I found myself intrigued by the magic system and generally wanting to know what would happen next. My friend Hannah has compared these to movie theater popcorn, and I totally agree with that. Is it the best meal? No. Will you keep eating it if there’s a bowl sitting in front of you? Yes. For that reason, I’m definitely going to continue the series (though I don’t expect to go that quickly, which is why I’m planning to do individual reviews as I go!)
Recommended if you like: books about magic boarding schools, yes including the one you’re thinking of right now; dark/bully romance (I’m told—there was very little romance, dark or otherwise, in this one); popcorn fantasy
CW: Loads of violence/bullying/attempted murder; discussion of death of parents; references to foster care abuse/neglect
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder