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A review by karis321
What Wakes the Bells by Elle Tesch
4.0
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC!~~
4.5/5 stars rounded down!
Not gonna lie, I was this close to thinking this was another subpar ARC on top of all the other ones I've read recently; this especially would have sucked because this was one of my highly anticipated reads for 2025. But once the inciting incident happened - oh man. I had no choice but to let the story consume me entirely once it got its hooks into me.
Tesch really takes the 'sentient gothic city' concept to the exact place I wanted it to go: Blood, gore, death, and extreme trauma for our main character! From statues chasing/killing people all over the city to the gruesome stone virus that spreads because of it, the action and tension are practically nonstop from that incident to the end. It's so much more than what I would expect from a gothic, which, in my eye, is typically slow in building up the horrors, but Tesch's fast-pace twist made it so enjoyable. I dunno if it's because I watched Arcane recently, but I was imagining the book as if they were in the style of that show, and now all I can think about it how amazing this would look as an animated feature.
Alas, the pacing is also one of the book's weaknesses. The book is very short for a YA fantasy, especially for a standalone. I don't think it needed, like, 200 more pages just to focus on building the world, but I think it would have benefitted the story more if the pacing slowed between all those action scenes, despite my enjoyment. This was especially apparent whenever there was a brief slow moment for plot and character development, when the fast-pacing would suddenly crash back through the scene and sweep the story back up again. Like I said, I loved the excitement, but I want to balance well with the gentleness.
As for the characters, I adored them. Mina was complex and flawed in a grounded way, and the range of emotion she had when faced with the horrors were so well done and realistic. I also loved the pre-established relationship, and Tesch did a wonderful job laying he groundwork for them in order for the reader to also be invested when the inevitable does come. The family dynamics, particularly with the mom, were fantastic, too,.
Overall, what a great read, despite my problems. I do think the positives weigh out here, and I can only hope Tesch will do greater come her sophomore novel!
4.5/5 stars rounded down!
Not gonna lie, I was this close to thinking this was another subpar ARC on top of all the other ones I've read recently; this especially would have sucked because this was one of my highly anticipated reads for 2025. But once the inciting incident happened - oh man. I had no choice but to let the story consume me entirely once it got its hooks into me.
Tesch really takes the 'sentient gothic city' concept to the exact place I wanted it to go: Blood, gore, death, and extreme trauma for our main character! From statues chasing/killing people all over the city to the gruesome stone virus that spreads because of it, the action and tension are practically nonstop from that incident to the end. It's so much more than what I would expect from a gothic, which, in my eye, is typically slow in building up the horrors, but Tesch's fast-pace twist made it so enjoyable. I dunno if it's because I watched Arcane recently, but I was imagining the book as if they were in the style of that show, and now all I can think about it how amazing this would look as an animated feature.
Alas, the pacing is also one of the book's weaknesses. The book is very short for a YA fantasy, especially for a standalone. I don't think it needed, like, 200 more pages just to focus on building the world, but I think it would have benefitted the story more if the pacing slowed between all those action scenes, despite my enjoyment. This was especially apparent whenever there was a brief slow moment for plot and character development, when the fast-pacing would suddenly crash back through the scene and sweep the story back up again. Like I said, I loved the excitement, but I want to balance well with the gentleness.
As for the characters, I adored them. Mina was complex and flawed in a grounded way, and the range of emotion she had when faced with the horrors were so well done and realistic. I also loved the pre-established relationship, and Tesch did a wonderful job laying he groundwork for them in order for the reader to also be invested when the inevitable does come. The family dynamics, particularly with the mom, were fantastic, too,.
Overall, what a great read, despite my problems. I do think the positives weigh out here, and I can only hope Tesch will do greater come her sophomore novel!