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A review by jayseejewel
Serenade by Morgan Shamy
3.0
Serenade is an immersive story full of magic, music, and mystery. Fans of Cassandra Clare's style of writing and characters will enjoy diving into this strange talent school and the dark secrets it's hiding.
What I liked:
- The mystery was present from the very beginning and with every answer you got, another question took its place
- The setting is really interesting (a school of musical students filled with tons of secrets) and it's something I haven't seen before in a book
- While the setting and magic system aren't similar in any way to Cassandra Clare's stories, the writing style reminded me of her books. I think young adult fans of hers will enjoy this. It's easy to read through at a quick pace
- The magic system was well thought out, fascinating, and complex. It was the main thing that pulled me in
What I didn't like:
- The main character is very much written like a young adult. She could be a little annoying and whiny at times, as well as changing her opinion very quickly. However, for teenage fans this shouldn't be a problem
- The sense of mystery was dragged out by utilizing "I'll tell you later" and "you don't need to know", which can get quite annoying when overused
- I personally am not a fan of love triangles but those who are will enjoy this one
- It was interesting to see a main character struggling with depression but I don't think it was shown in a way that went beyond surface level (which is understandably a hard thing to do without it taking over the plot)
Overall: This is a great read for young adults. As an adult myself, it wasn't my favorite but if I were younger, I would have been really immersed and bought the second one. The magic and setting really shines in this story.
[This book was received as a free e-arc]
What I liked:
- The mystery was present from the very beginning and with every answer you got, another question took its place
- The setting is really interesting (a school of musical students filled with tons of secrets) and it's something I haven't seen before in a book
- While the setting and magic system aren't similar in any way to Cassandra Clare's stories, the writing style reminded me of her books. I think young adult fans of hers will enjoy this. It's easy to read through at a quick pace
- The magic system was well thought out, fascinating, and complex. It was the main thing that pulled me in
What I didn't like:
- The main character is very much written like a young adult. She could be a little annoying and whiny at times, as well as changing her opinion very quickly. However, for teenage fans this shouldn't be a problem
- The sense of mystery was dragged out by utilizing "I'll tell you later" and "you don't need to know", which can get quite annoying when overused
- I personally am not a fan of love triangles but those who are will enjoy this one
- It was interesting to see a main character struggling with depression but I don't think it was shown in a way that went beyond surface level (which is understandably a hard thing to do without it taking over the plot)
Overall: This is a great read for young adults. As an adult myself, it wasn't my favorite but if I were younger, I would have been really immersed and bought the second one. The magic and setting really shines in this story.
[This book was received as a free e-arc]