A review by mary_do_12
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ugh, i love this book.

this was the first re-read i’ve ever done. to be honest with you, i used to think re-reads were kinda boring because… well, you already know what’s happening. but then i felt the desire to read about my fav characters again and i did it and AAAH.
this was the best decision ever. maybe i’ll only re-read books from now on. i first read this book series 2 years ago so there were some things i did indeed forgot but they came back to me when i read the book again. i also realized that my reading habits have definitely changed in those last two years. i used to be a CRAZY fast reader and now i’d say i’m an average speed reader. i payed much more attention to detail which made me recognize new things in an old story. also, for some reason, i was able to understand the talk about politics and strategy MUCH better than when i first read this book. maybe that‘s because i know the outcome and therefore understand the planning better.
i also have to mention that the first time i read this book was in my native language (german) but i enjoyed it more in english. what surprised me was that, despite me having read the book before, i was giggling and gasping just the same. the best scenes still made me feel the best of emotions, even though i totally knew they were in there. in fact, i anticipated them. and they hit the same, if not better. 
coming back to my comfort characters was SO comforting and it made me feel excitement in a way i never have before. i looked forward to keep on reading the whole day, i brought the book to birthday parties and running errands and going shopping and to church.
this book is a masterpiece still, nothing will ever come close to this story that i hold so dearly to my heart.
i’ve never quite realized how fond i am of these characters until now.
i feel at home again.

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