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A review by charitytinnin
Shades of Doon by Carey Corp, Lorie Langdon
5.0
ALL THE STARS.
ALL THE STARS ALWAYS!
First Read (August 25-31, 2015): First off, SQUEE!!!!!! *fangirls around room, bursting with feels* That's right; I'm a 30-something who is literally fangirling about this book. Really. I'm not kidding.
Because Shades of Doon is EVERYTHING it's supposed to be as the next in the Doon Series. Everything.
Corp and Langdon continue to deliver two princes who make you want to swoon. *waves at Jamie and Duncan* The MacCrae brothers aren't perfect, but they're pretty darn close. And though I've been solidly Team Jamie for most of the series, I found myself switching sides during this book depending on what chapter I was reading. My heart continually flip-flopped OTPs throughout -- which is a sign of two organic characters who both refuse to take a backseat to the other. Two-thirds of the way in, I gave up trying to pick a favorite and declared myself Team MacCrae on Twitter.
I also loved that not only did we see Veronica and Mackenna grow individually (settling doubts/weaknesses that have plagued them from the beginning, which allowed me to quit big sister fussing at them in the margins), but we also saw the fruit of Jamie and Duncan's changes in the first two books AND each couple grew stronger as well. No needless relational angst here! It was refreshing to watch our beloved group become stronger individually and as a unit while externally things were falling apart.
And speaking of things falling apart externally, sometimes late in a series things can start to feel repetitive or needlessly drawn out. (You know what I mean). Well, let me reassure you: that does NOT happen in this book. Our authors change up the paradigm of the whole series in a believable way that renews our stakes, keeps things fresh, and makes Addie so much scarier. To use a Steven James' term, they give us something "unpredictable yet inevitable," something that had me writing "Brilliant!" in the margins of my ARC.
Add the above to a witty humor that feels natural yet keeps things from getting too dark for the fantastical world; musical/book/song references that spring organically out of Veronica and Mackenna's heads; and secondary characters with their own motivations, quirks, strengths, and weaknesses, and you'd have a great addition to the series.
However, what I think is Shades's (and the Doon Series's) strongest point is the friendship between Veronica and Mackenna. These best friends couldn't be more different in some ways yet they genuinely have each other's back. The girls support and encourage each other AND challenge, disagree with, and balance the other when it's most important. And their relationship trumps their individual romances in a refreshing way. This is the kind of healthy female friendship we don't see enough of in YA, and I love everything about our girls and their BFF-ness.
Oh, and those OTP thoughts from above? When I finished the last page, I was firmly back on Team Jamie. Dude, was I ever ... And speaking of that last page, HOW QUICKLY CAN WE GET BOOK FOUR?! Because I needs it. Like yesterday.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are entirely my own. My review would be the same if I were reviewing the final copy I bought with my own hard earned money.
ALL THE STARS ALWAYS!
First Read (August 25-31, 2015): First off, SQUEE!!!!!! *fangirls around room, bursting with feels* That's right; I'm a 30-something who is literally fangirling about this book. Really. I'm not kidding.
Because Shades of Doon is EVERYTHING it's supposed to be as the next in the Doon Series. Everything.
Corp and Langdon continue to deliver two princes who make you want to swoon. *waves at Jamie and Duncan* The MacCrae brothers aren't perfect, but they're pretty darn close. And though I've been solidly Team Jamie for most of the series, I found myself switching sides during this book depending on what chapter I was reading. My heart continually flip-flopped OTPs throughout -- which is a sign of two organic characters who both refuse to take a backseat to the other. Two-thirds of the way in, I gave up trying to pick a favorite and declared myself Team MacCrae on Twitter.
I also loved that not only did we see Veronica and Mackenna grow individually (settling doubts/weaknesses that have plagued them from the beginning, which allowed me to quit big sister fussing at them in the margins), but we also saw the fruit of Jamie and Duncan's changes in the first two books AND each couple grew stronger as well. No needless relational angst here! It was refreshing to watch our beloved group become stronger individually and as a unit while externally things were falling apart.
And speaking of things falling apart externally, sometimes late in a series things can start to feel repetitive or needlessly drawn out. (You know what I mean). Well, let me reassure you: that does NOT happen in this book. Our authors change up the paradigm of the whole series in a believable way that renews our stakes, keeps things fresh, and makes Addie so much scarier. To use a Steven James' term, they give us something "unpredictable yet inevitable," something that had me writing "Brilliant!" in the margins of my ARC.
Add the above to a witty humor that feels natural yet keeps things from getting too dark for the fantastical world; musical/book/song references that spring organically out of Veronica and Mackenna's heads; and secondary characters with their own motivations, quirks, strengths, and weaknesses, and you'd have a great addition to the series.
However, what I think is Shades's (and the Doon Series's) strongest point is the friendship between Veronica and Mackenna. These best friends couldn't be more different in some ways yet they genuinely have each other's back. The girls support and encourage each other AND challenge, disagree with, and balance the other when it's most important. And their relationship trumps their individual romances in a refreshing way. This is the kind of healthy female friendship we don't see enough of in YA, and I love everything about our girls and their BFF-ness.
Oh, and those OTP thoughts from above? When I finished the last page, I was firmly back on Team Jamie. Dude, was I ever ...
Spoiler
because that azure ribbon, you guys, that ribbon!Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are entirely my own. My review would be the same if I were reviewing the final copy I bought with my own hard earned money.