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A review by paper_queen
Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Initial Reaction
This was...really cute? Like, I am NOT a romance person, but this? This is good stuff.
So, going into this, I didn't really know what to expect. I thought there would be some magical hijinks, along with a little bit of romance and maybe a mystery thrown in there. But I must say, I was expecting waaay more in the magical realism department than I actually got.
I would still label this book as being in the magical realism genre, but a very, very light version of it. Pru's abilities of causing karmic justice are in the book. But they are hardly the focus, despite the blurb advertising it as such. If you took that aspect out of the book, it could very well stand on its own. It doesn't need to be there, which makes me think 'why even include it at all?' If Marissa Meyer wants to write a cute summer romance story, then by all means, she should. But throwing in a little sprinkle of magic that is barely utilized seems unnecessary.
All of that being said, this was a really, really cute romance story. I wasn't expecting it, but I'm glad it exists. Pru and Quint are constantly at each other's throats.And the romantic tension between them is real and beautiful. THEY ARE SUCH A CUTE COUPLE. It's endearing and also frustrating to watch at times. Pru is a somewhat of a killjoy, while Quint is the exact opposite, spreading his positivity wherever he goes. Putting them together to work at a sea animal rescue center for the summer is probably the worst thing you could possibly do. But they slowly grow to hate each other less, and it's so much fun to see. There's one scene in particular that I just couldn't stop smiling at.
At times, I found Pru a little annoyingly defensive, which was one of her character traits, but it was still hard to read. Quint was probably my favorite character of the bunch, but all of the side characters were fantastic too. All of them were well-developed and interesting to read about.
I liked the ending a lot.Even though I thought the sudden and vehement accusation against Pru was totally uncalled for; they jumped to conclusions way, way faster than what seemed reasonable. The setting was really neat and summery. I felt like I was really there on the boardwalk. Seriously, all of the foodie descriptions made me SO hungry.
Conclusion
Overall, it wasn't something I normally read, (though, to be honest, I thought it was going to be more of a magical adventure; and since it wasn't, I gotta say, I was a little disappointed), but I'm super glad I read it, because it made me smile more than a few times and it was a nice way to hit off the beginning of summer. I recommend if you need a good beach read or just want to get into the summer mood.
This was...really cute? Like, I am NOT a romance person, but this? This is good stuff.
So, going into this, I didn't really know what to expect. I thought there would be some magical hijinks, along with a little bit of romance and maybe a mystery thrown in there. But I must say, I was expecting waaay more in the magical realism department than I actually got.
I would still label this book as being in the magical realism genre, but a very, very light version of it. Pru's abilities of causing karmic justice are in the book. But they are hardly the focus, despite the blurb advertising it as such. If you took that aspect out of the book, it could very well stand on its own. It doesn't need to be there, which makes me think 'why even include it at all?' If Marissa Meyer wants to write a cute summer romance story, then by all means, she should. But throwing in a little sprinkle of magic that is barely utilized seems unnecessary.
All of that being said, this was a really, really cute romance story. I wasn't expecting it, but I'm glad it exists. Pru and Quint are constantly at each other's throats.
At times, I found Pru a little annoyingly defensive, which was one of her character traits, but it was still hard to read. Quint was probably my favorite character of the bunch, but all of the side characters were fantastic too. All of them were well-developed and interesting to read about.
I liked the ending a lot.
Conclusion
Overall, it wasn't something I normally read, (though, to be honest, I thought it was going to be more of a magical adventure; and since it wasn't, I gotta say, I was a little disappointed), but I'm super glad I read it, because it made me smile more than a few times and it was a nice way to hit off the beginning of summer. I recommend if you need a good beach read or just want to get into the summer mood.