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imme_van_gorp's Reviews (702)
This was an okay addition to the series, but I think I enjoyed this one the least so far. It didn't captivate me as much as the other two.
I find that I’m not a big fan of the romance in this series: it’s kind of leaving me cold.
The characters are also kind of under-developed, especially on an emotional level.
Really, I’m more interested in the mystery and thriller side of this story. I just really want to see how it all ends and what all the details are when it comes to that town’s weird mysterious past.
If there is one emotion I feel the most while reading this, it’s pure disgust for that religious town with its creepy Christian cult mentality. They breed monsters there, seriously. I can’t wait to see them all be brought down.
I find that I’m not a big fan of the romance in this series: it’s kind of leaving me cold.
The characters are also kind of under-developed, especially on an emotional level.
Really, I’m more interested in the mystery and thriller side of this story. I just really want to see how it all ends and what all the details are when it comes to that town’s weird mysterious past.
If there is one emotion I feel the most while reading this, it’s pure disgust for that religious town with its creepy Christian cult mentality. They breed monsters there, seriously. I can’t wait to see them all be brought down.
This was very action-packed and had me high on adrenaline. I was super into it!
This has definitely been my favourite book in the series so far. Everything just seemed to be a bit better with this one: the emotions, the crimes, the flashbacks, it all had me on my toes.
The book ended once again on a big cliff-hanger, so I am damn excited to read the next and final book. I hope it’ll all end on a big bang rather than go out with a meek sizzle.
So, here’s to hoping that town burns completely to the ground, but without Lana going down with it.
This has definitely been my favourite book in the series so far. Everything just seemed to be a bit better with this one: the emotions, the crimes, the flashbacks, it all had me on my toes.
The book ended once again on a big cliff-hanger, so I am damn excited to read the next and final book. I hope it’ll all end on a big bang rather than go out with a meek sizzle.
So, here’s to hoping that town burns completely to the ground, but without Lana going down with it.
This was a solid ending to the series. Not everything ended on an as satisfactory note as I would have liked, but I guess it could have been a lot worse.
For a storyline as dragged out as this one (seeing how it is spread out over five novels), I think the resolution to it all could have been a bit more in depth and detailed.
Especially the final phase of "the endgame" was a bit disappointing to me. I mean, I loved how Lana and Jake haunted the town and scared the crap out of everyone, but once they got everyone out of there, it started to go downhill: the shoot-out felt tacky and impersonal. Very different from the rest of the killings before that point. I'm not quite sure why S.T. Abby chose to go down that road, but oh well. I suppose she needed an easy and quick ending to their revenge…
For a storyline as dragged out as this one (seeing how it is spread out over five novels), I think the resolution to it all could have been a bit more in depth and detailed.
Especially the final phase of "the endgame" was a bit disappointing to me. I mean, I loved how Lana and Jake haunted the town and scared the crap out of everyone, but once they got everyone out of there, it started to go downhill: the shoot-out felt tacky and impersonal. Very different from the rest of the killings before that point. I'm not quite sure why S.T. Abby chose to go down that road, but oh well. I suppose she needed an easy and quick ending to their revenge…
This book really thrives on its cuteness and light-hearted vibe. It has some humour sprinkled in there as well, which is always something I appreciate.
However, there is also a more serious tone with one of the main characters going through a mid-life crisis at 28. This was handled fairly well and actually served as a great secondary plot to the romance.
Both Kai and Gray are likeable characters, and their initial friendship already seemed incredibly strong. They were truly there for each other, especially Gray for Kai.
Their transition into being more than friends was incredibly slow-burn, which I loved. Subsequently, it was a bit disappointing that once they got together, it felt like it all went quite fast with many skips in time and without much detail. The story basically went from very in-depth to slightly superficial. This could have definitely been done better and thus, I liked the beginning and middle of the novel a lot more than the end.
I'm a bit unsure of my exact stance on this novel as it was entirely enjoyable, but I'm not sure if the emotional side of it was intense and developed enough for my liking.
The overall storyline was exactly my cup of tea and there's not much I can pin-point I didn't like about it, yet something about the execution made me not be as in love with this novel as I could have been.
So yea, this is definitely a read I would recommend because of its high entertainment factor, but not something that'll go down as one of my favourites or anything. It was good, not amazing.
However, there is also a more serious tone with one of the main characters going through a mid-life crisis at 28. This was handled fairly well and actually served as a great secondary plot to the romance.
Both Kai and Gray are likeable characters, and their initial friendship already seemed incredibly strong. They were truly there for each other, especially Gray for Kai.
Their transition into being more than friends was incredibly slow-burn, which I loved. Subsequently, it was a bit disappointing that once they got together, it felt like it all went quite fast with many skips in time and without much detail. The story basically went from very in-depth to slightly superficial. This could have definitely been done better and thus, I liked the beginning and middle of the novel a lot more than the end.
I'm a bit unsure of my exact stance on this novel as it was entirely enjoyable, but I'm not sure if the emotional side of it was intense and developed enough for my liking.
The overall storyline was exactly my cup of tea and there's not much I can pin-point I didn't like about it, yet something about the execution made me not be as in love with this novel as I could have been.
So yea, this is definitely a read I would recommend because of its high entertainment factor, but not something that'll go down as one of my favourites or anything. It was good, not amazing.
Why, oh, why, oh, why??? Why did Fitz have to be so incredibly frustrating?
This was a very entertaining read which definitely had potential, but, unfortunately, I cannot say that I truly liked it.
The reason for this is one person, and one person only: Colin Fitzgerald. This man got on my damn nerves and he just simply did not deserve Summer. He did not appreciate her, he even looked down on her, and he was entirely unreasonable. He could not make up his damn mind, which also made him the biggest hypocrite ever: he hated Summer's supposed "drama", but the only drama between them ever came from Fitz's utter inability to be a normal or decent person. God, he was a douche.
Anyway, like I said, this novel did entertain me as it surely had plenty of things I liked: Summer was a nice and fun main character, Brenna and Miller were both awesome side characters (funny too), and Hunter seemed very sweet.
Honestly, I freaking wish Summer would have ended up with Hunter instead of the douche. I mean, why the hell didn't she? I get that we hardly got to read about any of their interactions, but even so, he was so much better. I don't get Summer's choice, I really don't. I also just feel really bad for him with how everything turned out. Nothing ever really gets resolved for him and he doesn't deserve the shitty situation he's in now.
Long story short, this novel had its upsides and its downsides, but I think the downsides weighed a bit more heavily for me. I just couldn't look past Fitz's douchiness, which, in result, also ruined the romance for me. Add to that the complete absence of a side plot and you're left with some entertaining scenes, but otherwise merely empty feelings and an annoying male main character.
This was a very entertaining read which definitely had potential, but, unfortunately, I cannot say that I truly liked it.
The reason for this is one person, and one person only: Colin Fitzgerald. This man got on my damn nerves and he just simply did not deserve Summer. He did not appreciate her, he even looked down on her, and he was entirely unreasonable. He could not make up his damn mind, which also made him the biggest hypocrite ever: he hated Summer's supposed "drama", but the only drama between them ever came from Fitz's utter inability to be a normal or decent person. God, he was a douche.
Anyway, like I said, this novel did entertain me as it surely had plenty of things I liked: Summer was a nice and fun main character, Brenna and Miller were both awesome side characters (funny too), and Hunter seemed very sweet.
Honestly, I freaking wish Summer would have ended up with Hunter instead of the douche. I mean, why the hell didn't she? I get that we hardly got to read about any of their interactions, but even so, he was so much better. I don't get Summer's choice, I really don't. I also just feel really bad for him with how everything turned out. Nothing ever really gets resolved for him and he doesn't deserve the shitty situation he's in now.
Long story short, this novel had its upsides and its downsides, but I think the downsides weighed a bit more heavily for me. I just couldn't look past Fitz's douchiness, which, in result, also ruined the romance for me. Add to that the complete absence of a side plot and you're left with some entertaining scenes, but otherwise merely empty feelings and an annoying male main character.
After this book my patience with this series is starting to wear dangerously thin. It is so frustrating, because the idea of these books has so much potential, but it's simply just not working out the way it is supposed to.
I feel like this author has a certain writing style that just isn't for me; in particular the way she describes her surroundings in such flowery and endless prose, but there's also a lack of true emotion in her writing. She seems to be quite unable to ever truly grip me. I am interested in what she's writing, but it’s quite slow going and I also just don't really.. care.
I don't know if that sounds like it makes sense, but I basically mean to say that these books spark my curiosity, but not any love or liking for what I'm reading about. It's leaving me a bit cold.
This is not all due to the writing style though, it is also due to the complete lack of characterization of her characters. And it's not even that I don't like them, but they're just so flat and empty.
Take Alec, Isabel, Luke and Magnus, for example: all four of them are characters I objectively like and want to care about, but they are just so incredibly under-developed that I simply cannot.
Now when it comes to Jace and Simon, it's a bit different. I feel like they have definitely gotten enough 'screentime' to establish some sort of well-rounded personality, yet I also don't feel anything for them. Before this particular book I didn't even think I liked Simon, but I feel like he definitely had some sort of character-development within this book, which is good.
These characters are not all static, they do change for the better, almost all of them do. Which is why it's even more sad that it's written in such an emotionless manner, not captivating me in any way.
Sadly, and most importantly, when it comes to Clary, I do not only believe that she's a flat character, I also just don't like her. She definitely suffers from the main character syndrome. She is so bland and whiny, and I just cannot for the life of me understand why people care so much about her. And since most of this series is about people doing stuff for her and, well, just her in general (seeing how she's the main character and all), it makes me even more detached from the story. I simply don't care about her or what happens to her. Sorry, not sorry.
All these issues are not new to the series; they were already there from the beginning with City of Bones. Yet, I did not fault it so much for it then, because I figured it was just because the world-building and relationships needed to be established. I figured the emotions would come later.
I feel like these things are normal for a start of a series, but it's not normal to still be in that stage when it's the third book. It should have gotten better by now, yet is hasn't.
I'm not sure I still have hope for this series, or if maybe this author just isn't for me. Then again, I've heard that her other series are so much better, and the next book to read in this universe would be Clockwork Angel, which is not actually part of 'The Mortal Instruments' series.
I might continue with that one, I'll think about it. It seems like a bit of a waste to have gotten through these books and then not read the ones people actually love the most.
I feel like this author has a certain writing style that just isn't for me; in particular the way she describes her surroundings in such flowery and endless prose, but there's also a lack of true emotion in her writing. She seems to be quite unable to ever truly grip me. I am interested in what she's writing, but it’s quite slow going and I also just don't really.. care.
I don't know if that sounds like it makes sense, but I basically mean to say that these books spark my curiosity, but not any love or liking for what I'm reading about. It's leaving me a bit cold.
This is not all due to the writing style though, it is also due to the complete lack of characterization of her characters. And it's not even that I don't like them, but they're just so flat and empty.
Take Alec, Isabel, Luke and Magnus, for example: all four of them are characters I objectively like and want to care about, but they are just so incredibly under-developed that I simply cannot.
Now when it comes to Jace and Simon, it's a bit different. I feel like they have definitely gotten enough 'screentime' to establish some sort of well-rounded personality, yet I also don't feel anything for them. Before this particular book I didn't even think I liked Simon, but I feel like he definitely had some sort of character-development within this book, which is good.
These characters are not all static, they do change for the better, almost all of them do. Which is why it's even more sad that it's written in such an emotionless manner, not captivating me in any way.
Sadly, and most importantly, when it comes to Clary, I do not only believe that she's a flat character, I also just don't like her. She definitely suffers from the main character syndrome. She is so bland and whiny, and I just cannot for the life of me understand why people care so much about her. And since most of this series is about people doing stuff for her and, well, just her in general (seeing how she's the main character and all), it makes me even more detached from the story. I simply don't care about her or what happens to her. Sorry, not sorry.
All these issues are not new to the series; they were already there from the beginning with City of Bones. Yet, I did not fault it so much for it then, because I figured it was just because the world-building and relationships needed to be established. I figured the emotions would come later.
I feel like these things are normal for a start of a series, but it's not normal to still be in that stage when it's the third book. It should have gotten better by now, yet is hasn't.
I'm not sure I still have hope for this series, or if maybe this author just isn't for me. Then again, I've heard that her other series are so much better, and the next book to read in this universe would be Clockwork Angel, which is not actually part of 'The Mortal Instruments' series.
I might continue with that one, I'll think about it. It seems like a bit of a waste to have gotten through these books and then not read the ones people actually love the most.
Let me first say that I love Magnus and Alec together. They're my favorite couple in 'The Mortal Instruments' series without a doubt. However, I am sad to say that nothing really happens in this particular novella.
Even though a lot of the story focuses on Magnus' feelings for Alec, it was more telling than showing. This is completely different from The Course of True Love and First Dates, as we actually got to see Magnus and Alec interact with each other in that novella, which was adorable.
Now, I don't mean to suggest that I didn't think Magnus' inner musings about his slight obsession with Alec weren't adorable too, but it was simply kind of boring because that's all they were: musings.
Basically, this novella could have used a bit more of a plot, and preferably one not concerning a random demon being summoned for a random lady, who I do not give a single fuck about.
To be honest, I am a bit disappointed that one of the few times this author actually focuses on this amazing couple, it is filled with such empty content. I had higher hopes for it.
Even though a lot of the story focuses on Magnus' feelings for Alec, it was more telling than showing. This is completely different from The Course of True Love and First Dates, as we actually got to see Magnus and Alec interact with each other in that novella, which was adorable.
Now, I don't mean to suggest that I didn't think Magnus' inner musings about his slight obsession with Alec weren't adorable too, but it was simply kind of boring because that's all they were: musings.
Basically, this novella could have used a bit more of a plot, and preferably one not concerning a random demon being summoned for a random lady, who I do not give a single fuck about.
To be honest, I am a bit disappointed that one of the few times this author actually focuses on this amazing couple, it is filled with such empty content. I had higher hopes for it.
This book is quite alright. It's very fluffy and definitely has its sweet moments, but there is just something missing for me.
Even though I enjoyed this novel, I wasn't fully invested. I didn't feel an emotional connection to the characters or the story. That's not to say the concept isn't cute or the character's aren't nice, because they are. I would even say Ren and Cole have some definite chemistry between them.
Yet, everything all remains rather surface level. There is no tension, drama or anything thrilling. Of course it's cute that everything is so smooth sailing, but then again, it can also be rather boring.
Frustratingly, Ren and Cole claim to have this very deep bond, specifically through this anonymous dating app they're on, but I never really saw that. To me, all they really had was banter and sexual chemistry.
Later on, I did start to see more of that deep bond coming from Cole as he was very supportive of Ren, and pushed him in all the right ways, which ultimately made him my favourite of the two.
Anyway, long story short, there's not much special about this novel, but there is also not much wrong with it.
I think this is one of those books where your enjoyment depends a lot on the mood you're in. I mean, if you're looking for something angsty and filled with emotions, then this is definitely not the right read for you at the moment.
Even though I enjoyed this novel, I wasn't fully invested. I didn't feel an emotional connection to the characters or the story. That's not to say the concept isn't cute or the character's aren't nice, because they are. I would even say Ren and Cole have some definite chemistry between them.
Yet, everything all remains rather surface level. There is no tension, drama or anything thrilling. Of course it's cute that everything is so smooth sailing, but then again, it can also be rather boring.
Frustratingly, Ren and Cole claim to have this very deep bond, specifically through this anonymous dating app they're on, but I never really saw that. To me, all they really had was banter and sexual chemistry.
Later on, I did start to see more of that deep bond coming from Cole as he was very supportive of Ren, and pushed him in all the right ways, which ultimately made him my favourite of the two.
Anyway, long story short, there's not much special about this novel, but there is also not much wrong with it.
I think this is one of those books where your enjoyment depends a lot on the mood you're in. I mean, if you're looking for something angsty and filled with emotions, then this is definitely not the right read for you at the moment.
Am I even supposed to really have an opinion on this?
This was incredibly short and basically completely useless. Not to mention, the very small amount of content it did have was boring and even kind of weird. Not cute, not sexy, just weird.
This was incredibly short and basically completely useless. Not to mention, the very small amount of content it did have was boring and even kind of weird. Not cute, not sexy, just weird.
Awwww, this was so freaking CUTE! It honestly made me feel all mushy inside. I was constantly smiling throughout this entire novel.
To be fair, how could I possibly not love it? Adam is such a dreamboat and Olive is truly an incredibly likable main character. Their match-up felt very natural and well-suited. I love the whole grumpy/sunshine trope, and Adam definitely delivered on the ‘grump’ front. What I loved most about it though, was how sweet and caring he was towards Olive. You can genuinely tell how much he loved her. It made my heart flutter. Seriously, it fluttered.
I can only imagine how much I would have swooned reading Adam's POV. Not that I minded only reading Olive's as she was super entertaining and lovely, but still... Just IMAGINE his POV. *sigh*
The side characters contributed nicely to the story as well and I really liked Malcolm and Holden.
I also really loved the overall plotline. It was interesting and flowed well. The setting was quite original and fun.
Anyway, there were some things that could have been executed a bit better. Especially near the end, things started to slack a little bit. I would have loved to see some of the later situations and emotions explored more in detail, since they sometimes felt a bit empty or out of the blue. Some actions and miscommunications also seemed kind of stupid for no reason other than to further the plot or create drama.
However, these issues didn't diminish the general love I felt for this novel and these characters, so I'm not going to dwell on it. This was just an absolute blast to read and I simply adored it.
To be fair, how could I possibly not love it? Adam is such a dreamboat and Olive is truly an incredibly likable main character. Their match-up felt very natural and well-suited. I love the whole grumpy/sunshine trope, and Adam definitely delivered on the ‘grump’ front. What I loved most about it though, was how sweet and caring he was towards Olive. You can genuinely tell how much he loved her. It made my heart flutter. Seriously, it fluttered.
I can only imagine how much I would have swooned reading Adam's POV. Not that I minded only reading Olive's as she was super entertaining and lovely, but still... Just IMAGINE his POV. *sigh*
The side characters contributed nicely to the story as well and I really liked Malcolm and Holden.
I also really loved the overall plotline. It was interesting and flowed well. The setting was quite original and fun.
Anyway, there were some things that could have been executed a bit better. Especially near the end, things started to slack a little bit. I would have loved to see some of the later situations and emotions explored more in detail, since they sometimes felt a bit empty or out of the blue. Some actions and miscommunications also seemed kind of stupid for no reason other than to further the plot or create drama.
However, these issues didn't diminish the general love I felt for this novel and these characters, so I'm not going to dwell on it. This was just an absolute blast to read and I simply adored it.