A review by novaturient_bibliophile
The Gifts That Bind Us by Caroline O'Donoghue

4.75

First of all, Maeve was still annoying. Especially towards the beginning of the book. I could not stand her. That’s really my only complaint, though. I love how the relationships developed and deepened and stood up to tests. The new characters (Manon and Miss Banbury) as well as the less developed characters (Lily, Aaron and Nuala) are all so beautifully multi-faceted as well. And the book is startlingly dark too, when compared to the cover art (and that’s why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover). Even when the plot wasn’t the best, I still found the book to be a captivating read. I was hooked, from beginning to end. And the title is so clever!
Plot-wise, it reminds me of the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, but in terms of the characters and relationships, it reminds me of Alice Oseman’s books.