A review by bestbedhead
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

adventurous emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book is a really easy read and full of fun. It is nicely paced and blends a lot of those YA tropes well into a fully formed story. I found myself enjoying the characters a lot and they came across very grounded and real which tends to be a pitfall for me in YA fantasy where I find characters completely unrealistic. I really liked the choice to alternate between Harper's point of view as well as Rhen's so that the reader is privy to both of their quiet personal thoughts and struggles. It added a lot of depth to them and allowed me to connect to them throughout the book. Even though this book doesn't do anything particularly new as it is a Beauty and the Beast retelling it is still a nice read and I think the author did a good job of adding her own voice to a story the reader already inherently knows. Curious to see how she continues the series.