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A review by nightfell
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
This really didn't have to be THAT long.
Lou was an okay character, I wasn't attached. She could have had some real character depth with her backstory, but that wasn't explored, at least in this first book, and she felt like a caricature.
Reid was so annoying and stupid, I understand where he's coming from with his 'I hate witches' propaganda, but it was still annoying. He had so many pointless and irritating reactions to a lot of the situations, and It made the book just that much longer.
Their relationship was developed over such a short amount of time, and felt really rushed (it was zero to hundred), and yet this book was over 500 pages long...the math isn't mathing. It felt like she just woke up and decided to she found him adorable and attractive, when the day before she felt nothing like that towards him. She never gave a reason for what it was that made her fall in love with him, or even develop feelings for him in the first place, so everytime later in the book they would give these dramatic declarations of love it just didn't make sense.
The one part of this book that I liked was the fact that Reid was a virgin and Lou taught him the ways of intercourse in a really nice way, I thought it was well done. She wasn't mocking or patronising or anything like that she just showed him, and it felt like a safe space for both of them. That being said it was a little too detailed for YA in my opinion, but whatever.
We will not be discussing Big Titty Liddy.
Lou was an okay character, I wasn't attached. She could have had some real character depth with her backstory, but that wasn't explored, at least in this first book, and she felt like a caricature.
Reid was so annoying and stupid, I understand where he's coming from with his 'I hate witches' propaganda, but it was still annoying. He had so many pointless and irritating reactions to a lot of the situations, and It made the book just that much longer.
Their relationship was developed over such a short amount of time, and felt really rushed (it was zero to hundred), and yet this book was over 500 pages long...the math isn't mathing. It felt like she just woke up and decided to she found him adorable and attractive, when the day before she felt nothing like that towards him. She never gave a reason for what it was that made her fall in love with him, or even develop feelings for him in the first place, so everytime later in the book they would give these dramatic declarations of love it just didn't make sense.
The one part of this book that I liked was the fact that Reid was a virgin and Lou taught him the ways of intercourse in a really nice way, I thought it was well done. She wasn't mocking or patronising or anything like that she just showed him, and it felt like a safe space for both of them. That being said it was a little too detailed for YA in my opinion, but whatever.
We will not be discussing Big Titty Liddy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse