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A review by queenjuly
Girl in the Shadows by Gwenda Bond
2.0
2.5 stars.
*deep sigh* Okay guys. I'm actually very conflicted about this book and I'm now here to tell you why.
At the first glance, this had everything I knew I would love:
Circus setting? Check.
Knive-throwing bad boy? Check.
A little dash of magic? Check.
(Sounding a bit like a more romance-focused version of 'The Night Circus'? Shameful check.)
But, I am an experienced reader and after years of frustration and wasted potential, I know better than to trust an intriguing premise. So I've tried the first few chapters and was pleasantly surprised - the main character was foxy (don't even ask from which corner of my brain I produced that word) enough to make me like her, while having an instant chemistry with her love interest, who actually seemed pretty decent with a rogueish streak (gods, I love those). At first, everything seemed to develope just as I wanted it to be, but of course, I wouldn't have given this book 2.5 stars, if that had lasted.
First, my most hated trope of all freaking time happened - insta luuuuve *screams for four hours straight*
I hate hate hate HATE insta love with a burning passion. I do not believe you can fall in love after a few days, unless there are really crazy circumstances (and I mean, crazy as in magic, potions and the apocalypse). Lust on the first sight? Absolutely. But love? Naaaaah.
Granted, there was a reason why they were moving so fast - on one hand, it was part of the plot (which also excused why Dex sounded like such a fuckboy sometimes), on the other hand, it also benefitted the plot on a contextual level, meaning, some of the scenes just worked better with them as a couple as opposed to them just courting each other.
While the insta-love was annoying, I could quickly get over my grudge after seeing how cute Dex and Moira were. I really liked their characters and their chemistry, although they made some choices that had my eye twitching.
But the thing I could not get over in the end was the weakness of the plot itself. It was just so... confusing. Not to mention absurd. The subplots lacked in depth as well and while there was some good dialogue and a few memorable quotes, the writing suffered from tired clichées and cringy cheesiness.
To sum it up, I was neither disappointed (low expectations, people) nor bored out of my mind, let alone screaming in agony and fury - for most of the time I was merely left with a sense of "meh".
The characters and the setting had great potential, but the rest was just a tad to immature and dare I say silly for my taste. It's a book that won't stay with me and that's fine, except for the fact that Dex was such a good character and he and Moira were such a cool couple and their wasted potential is honestly so heartbreaking.
*deep sigh* Okay guys. I'm actually very conflicted about this book and I'm now here to tell you why.
At the first glance, this had everything I knew I would love:
Circus setting? Check.
Knive-throwing bad boy? Check.
A little dash of magic? Check.
(Sounding a bit like a more romance-focused version of 'The Night Circus'? Shameful check.)
But, I am an experienced reader and after years of frustration and wasted potential, I know better than to trust an intriguing premise. So I've tried the first few chapters and was pleasantly surprised - the main character was foxy (don't even ask from which corner of my brain I produced that word) enough to make me like her, while having an instant chemistry with her love interest, who actually seemed pretty decent with a rogueish streak (gods, I love those). At first, everything seemed to develope just as I wanted it to be, but of course, I wouldn't have given this book 2.5 stars, if that had lasted.
First, my most hated trope of all freaking time happened - insta luuuuve *screams for four hours straight*
I hate hate hate HATE insta love with a burning passion. I do not believe you can fall in love after a few days, unless there are really crazy circumstances (and I mean, crazy as in magic, potions and the apocalypse). Lust on the first sight? Absolutely. But love? Naaaaah.
Spoiler
Why waste such good chemistry on a kiss within the first third of the novel??? I mean, whyyyyyyyyy. For the record, I don't have anything against early kisses, I don't like the declarations of love that follow after. And a sentence like "You're obviously too good for me" is exactly that.While the insta-love was annoying, I could quickly get over my grudge after seeing how cute Dex and Moira were. I really liked their characters and their chemistry, although they made some choices that had my eye twitching.
But the thing I could not get over in the end was the weakness of the plot itself.
Spoiler
I mean, come on. A secret society of brainwashed people worshipping an abusive asshole and his latest victim in their poorly executed quest of finding a magical object that would restore said society to its former glory?To sum it up, I was neither disappointed (low expectations, people) nor bored out of my mind, let alone screaming in agony and fury - for most of the time I was merely left with a sense of "meh".
The characters and the setting had great potential, but the rest was just a tad to immature and dare I say silly for my taste. It's a book that won't stay with me and that's fine, except for the fact that Dex was such a good character and he and Moira were such a cool couple and their wasted potential is honestly so heartbreaking.