A review by hahaly
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

Maybe I’m just not an ACOTAR girlie. But reading a bad book isn’t as gut wrenching, as being disappointed in a book with much potential. I should have thoroughly enjoyed this novel, as someone who loves fantasy, curses, fairy tale retellings, and hidden worlds beyond the human realm. Maybe I started reading this book when the series has been so hyped, such that my expectations were too high. But the writing (forever will I be haunted by the description of the sky as “periwinkle” with splashes of “magenta and pumpkin”—and not in a good way), character development, and pacing made this story not as engrossing as I had hoped. While Maas likely wanted to spend a good chunk of the book devoted to Feyre and Tamlin’s developing romance and Feyre’s “growth,” I did not buy their love too much and I found myself let down that the most interesting part of the novel and actual lore/world building occurred in the last 30% of the novel (I get that Tamlin + his court wasn’t able to tell Feyre the truth but still… ugh). I did hear the second book is the best one in the series, so I will return to give ACOTAR another chance again—I just might need a pause. 
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