A review by kimmag92
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I went into Serpent & Dove not knowing much about the plot and I was pleasantly surprised.  I wasn't expecting a vaguely 1700s French witch hunting book that is also a critique of Christian ideology but I'm here for it.  Overall, I enjoyed this book especially Lou and Coco.  I would have liked to see more build up to the romantic portion of Lou and Reid's relationship.  I knew as soon as Reid was introduced he was our love interest but the shift from Lou and Reid barely tolerating each other to "I love you" still felt sudden and not well explained. 

I do think Serpent & Dove falls into the category of YA that is written for adults and not teens as the characters late teen ages don't matter to the story.  For much of the book they read much older and I think had the author aged up the characters to their mid-20s and marketed it as adult fantasy the story would have worked much better.
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