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manikahemmerixh's Reviews (220)
Ugh. This is a hard one to rate. I was glad when the story got back on track and moved a plot forward rather than dragging on through filler content like I felt 80% of book three did. It felt like things were actually finally happening with purpose and I was sitting at about a 3 - 3.5 star rating (after rating the last one 2.75 and the first two 3 stars) and then I got to the ending. I fully should have anticipated that ending, in hindsight it isn't shocking but it didn't land for me.
I know it's supposed to be romantic, but as a reader, you're telling me I went through 1200 pages to end BASICALLY WHERE I STARTED? Breaking the curse but forcing them to be re-born one more time, lose all of their angel family, etc., etc. is not a cute romantic ending to me. Also, I could go on and on about all the plot holes I feel like the ending accentuates, but the biggest one for me is that Luce spends all this time so worried about the way the curse takes her from peoples life over and over again but she didn't think about her current family and best friend once before signing that Lucinda's life away?
I'm definitely overthinking it and maybe I would have found this sweeter when I was twelve and only cared if my main characters ended up happy together.
I'm definitely overthinking it and maybe I would have found this sweeter when I was twelve and only cared if my main characters ended up happy together.
I liked the creativity of this one, it was different than the others which was refreshing in a way. The first two books had set up for the revelation of some of their past lives well, and I liked the idea. My biggest problem with this book (and the series as a whole tbh) is that each book is around 400 pages and yet the plot is moving forward at a snails pace. This entire thing was basically just filler, and by book 3/4 in a series I expect more substance. It feels to me like this series could be transformed into one, maybe two, well written and concise books and I would have enjoyed that more. It seems like there are some really obvious things that keep being hinted at but skirted around just to prolong the series. Which maybe would work better if I cared about the characters or the romance more but despite Luce's best efforts to convince me and herself otherwise, it still feels like insta-love.
Also I'm genuinely begging Luce at this point to get some critical thinking skills or trust issues. How many times is she going to be tricked without even hesitating for a second before accepting that everything (in this crazy world where she's seen multiple bad things happen) is all sunshine and rainbows and no one could have bad intentions.
Also I'm genuinely begging Luce at this point to get some critical thinking skills or trust issues. How many times is she going to be tricked without even hesitating for a second before accepting that everything (in this crazy world where she's seen multiple bad things happen) is all sunshine and rainbows and no one could have bad intentions.
I wish I had finished this series when I initially read Fallen years ago (even though it hadn't all been published yet). I think that all of it would have hit a lot different. I'm still intrigued by the story but YA is YA and I don't read much of it anymore for a reason. The timeline in these books is just a little silly and everything is quite dramatic, but the passion and asinine inner monologue do make for a fun read. I'm really not sure where the series is going and that adds to the experience.
Decided that I wanted to revisit some books I remembered really liking when I was younger, especially series that I never finished. This one was surprisingly sluggish to me compared to the way I remember it, but maybe the mystery of the first read helps the story move along. I didn’t remember all the details going in, but I did remember the biggest reveals so there wasn’t anything I was desperate to have answered. It definitely feels like YA, the main character is impulsive and rash and the characters are pretty one-dimensional, but the writing overall holds up pretty well as an adult reader.
Beautifully written story, poignant with emotion. When I thought that it could not get me anymore, there was another pang. It's emotional, and stressful, and inspiring and I felt the characters and the setting so thoroughly. Couldn't stop crying in the last chapter.
This is a solid thriller. There are a lot of different pieces and you're never quite sure how they fit together. The ending wasn't obvious to me and apart from certain red herrings, it tied in a lot of things that I was wondering about and made them make more sense. Also I liked the moral dilemma aspect of it as a think piece. What do you do as a bystander who has concerns (but no evidence of direct threat) for someone's safety? How responsible are you, and do you deserve to be punished by yourself or others if something bad does happen?
This is definitely a niche novel. It has undertones of exploring female hysteria/desperation like many popular novels have, but is very food focused. If you aren't interested in food/cooking, or if you can't relate to an unhealthy relationship with food/body image then this book will probably be pretty boring to you. The plot of the book is pretty simple but the way that it's written, and the way the author isn't afraid to stretch things and take them to such an uncomfortable moment (while still remaining realistic vs. pushing boundaries into horror or a type of magical realism) is what makes this book special.
The setting is the weeks leading up to the main character, Piglet's, wedding, and the actions of her fiancé do contribute, ( One thing I didn't appreciate that much was the ambiguity of what exactly it is that he did. In this case, I don't think it would change anything to provide something concrete for the reader. ) but this is really a novel about Piglet's relationship with herself. She's desperate for the world to see her a certain way, a way that is in direct contrast with the family she was born into and the way she was raised. And as she tries to stretch herself to make everything fit, she opens an unfillable void in herself - leaving her (quite literally) starving.
The main contributing factor to this not being a 4 ⭐ range read for me, was re-readability. Piglet is narrated very well and there are memorable moments, but I don't feel anything pulling me back to it or making me want to explore it more.
The setting is the weeks leading up to the main character, Piglet's, wedding, and the actions of her fiancé do contribute, (
The main contributing factor to this not being a 4 ⭐ range read for me, was re-readability. Piglet is narrated very well and there are memorable moments, but I don't feel anything pulling me back to it or making me want to explore it more.
This duolog tugged at my heart strings, and the story as a whole (world building, magic system, characters) I would probably give a 4.5⭐, but after sleeping on this book I didn't like it as much as the first and couldn't rate them the same. With all due to respect to Elm and Ione, I was in it for Ravyn and Elspeth and I wanted more of them in Two Twisted Crowns (not just the idea of them).
However, I think that the mirroring of Elspeth and the Shepard King in this book to their relationship in the first was important, and I appreciated all of the history that was delivered to the reader through it as well. The world building that started in the first novel continued evenly in this one and I was not unsatisfied with the ending, but there are a few more curtains that I would have loved to get to peak behind before the story closed out.
However, I think that the mirroring of Elspeth and the Shepard King in this book to their relationship in the first was important, and I appreciated all of the history that was delivered to the reader through it as well. The world building that started in the first novel continued evenly in this one and I was not unsatisfied with the ending, but there are a few more curtains that I would have loved to get to peak behind before the story closed out.
For whatever reason, despite hearing lots of good things about this book it was very unassuming to me. What's behind the cover is brilliant though. I've read a lot of fantasy and enemies to lovers and this book was still something new. The magic system is creative and the voice is distinct. I had no trouble immersing myself into this world and even picturing the characters. I'm very curious to find out what happens next.
I liked the change of scenery for this book. Often in series the books will happen so close together, just a year or two (if not less) after the events of the first one, but I like that this gave us a Millie in a completely different stage of her life. I do think that it's really hard to write child characters in a book for adults though. It's something I'm picky about and so there were definitely moments involving the kids where I was like "do children act like that or is that an adult's perception of how a child would act?". (and obviously this is complicated because even as a parent, once a person has passed the adolescent stage of their life - can they actually understand how a child's thought process would work to represent it authentically - is it fair to expect that? maybe not)
This was also the first book in the trilogy where I actually liked the first half, the build up and the suspense that was built around the mystery more than I liked the actual unfurling of the events. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I was disappointed by the book but it was my least favorite out of the three.
This was also the first book in the trilogy where I actually liked the first half, the build up and the suspense that was built around the mystery more than I liked the actual unfurling of the events. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I was disappointed by the book but it was my least favorite out of the three.