Tag: Magic/Supernatural (Page 8 of 29)

BOOK REVIEW – Vicious (Vicious #1) by V.E. Schwab

November 25, 2015 / Anna

Vicious (Vicious #1)
by V.E. Schwab
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

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If Vicious was disturbing and fascinating, I can’t shake the feeling that something was missing for me to really love , especially when it comes to Eli’s character arc. Now, trust me, I’m the first surprised to have felt so utterly captivated by Elie and Victor’s researches. I mean, Eos? Please. I couldn’t care less and every book involving them bored me to tears (here you go, Steelheart). That’s why I feel the need to stress how compelling this story is ~~Or, Serena made me write this, how can I know~~.

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To be honest , if you had asked me my opinion after the first half, I would have told you that Victor and Eli were such fantastic characters, and first of all Victor. As far as sociopaths go (it’s a little unsettling to realize that I have a list of psychopathic characters to refer to, whoops), I find him pretty interesting : he’s crazy disturbed, yet his raw envy and thirst for revenge make him so very human. It is so refreshing to follow a character who doesn’t shy from what others can see as flaws : lack of empathy, for starters. Not to mention that his inner monologues are truly enjoyable.

The way V.E. Schwab pictures their twisted relationship is so realistic. Friendships aren’t always smiles and hugs, you know, and I loved the fact that she was willing to create such toxic yet strong friendship – for me these words aren’t necessarily antithesis, because the human minds and hearts are never Manicheans.

Moreover, Vicious explores the thirst for power and the changes it can create – Nothing is safe : whether family ties or friendship, power detracts everything and everyone.

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Unfortunately I found Eli‘s POV weaker : indeed he feels less complex than Victor, pretty devoid of subtlety, and I have to admit that I preferred looking at him through Victor’s eyes than following his POV. His fanaticism and religious delusion were way too sudden for me to buy, and I was never really convinced by his justifications.

However, this could be a case of “it’s not you but me”, if I’m completely honest : indeed I have a hard time comprehend how one can become a religious fanatic, and I’m pretty sure that it’s linked to my upbringing. See, France is very secular. Completely secular – I’m not saying that nobody believes in God, because some do of course, but we live in an environment where religion doesn’t cross our mind : you’ll never see our President quote God or people swearing on the Bible in tribunals, and even less political men or women using God as an explanation/justification for something they do. That’s why even though I have friends who practice their religion (everyone is entitled to their beliefs and I respect that), the concept of religious fanatic seems so profoundly foreign to me that I can’t understand how Eli moved from being a smart believer to a crazy fanatic in the span of a day.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that religious people can understand fanatics either. I didn’t buy his evolution and found it unbelievable is all.

Well, he shares the double standards of a true psycho that’s for sure : denying humanity to his targets is exactly what’s at the heart of every psychopath or genocide. His clinic removals were treated in such a detached way that I could never connect with him and –

Oh, well. He was pretty flat. Being in his head made me realize how much I loved Victor’s complexity, to be honest.

As far as secondary characters are concerned, Mitch, Serena and Sydney all add something interesting to the story, yet if they weren’t one-dimensional per se, I have to admit that I would have wanted to know more about them. Maybe in the sequel?

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Envy, jealousy, greed – thirst – for power, need to achieve better and faster and greater. Welcome in these manipulative and brilliant tale, where the boundaries between good and evil are questioned and straight on blurred. It was hands-on the aspect I loved the most.

The plot isn’t free of stereotypes, though, but spread superheroes movies vibes, including in the way the dialogues are crafted. I didn’t mind because it stayed quite unpredictable to me, but I did guess several twists pretty fast.

The narrative doesn’t follow the chronological order, but alternates between chapters recalling Victor and Eli’s students year and nowadays events. Even if there was a lot of different times involved, I didn’t find it confusing but thought that it helped nurture the mystery.

As usual V.E. Schwab‘s writing flows smoothly and makes the story very compelling. If the pacing can’t be described as fast, really, I was never bored : Vicious was quiet and yet intense.

Quietly crazy, if that’s a thing.

Oh, also :

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BOOK REVIEW – The Screaming Starcase (Lockwood & Co. #1) by Jonathan Stroud

October 7, 2015 / Anna

The Screaming Starcase (Lockwood & Co. #1)
by Jonathan Stroud
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . .

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.

Set in a city stalked by spectres, The Screaming Staircase is the first in a chilling new series full of suspense, humour and truly terrifying ghosts. Your nights will never be the same again . . .

Why an experiment? To be honest, I wasn’t accustomed to discriminating Middle-Grade and Young Adult novels back when I read in French. WHY? This would be because they’re similarly advertised (when in hardbacks) – and don’t get me started about the New Adult ones which are blended with them : frankly, I applause all the parents who’re trying to make some sense of the way books are sold to their teenagers. I mean it. You guys are so brave.

Anyway, my point is that I stopped reading Middle-Grade novels around the time I started experiencing books in English, running far away each time I saw the “children” shelf. Doing that, 1) I was missing out on some amazing stories, and 2) I couldn’t properly recommend books to young teenagers (my older pupils, for example).

That’s why I decided to stop narrowing my possibilities – and here I am, reading The Screaming Staircase. No need to say that I don’t regret a second of my read.

Alternative history is starting to become one of my favorite world-building tropes. How is London different? Basically, the dead decided that to rest in peace was way too boring, and started to wander the earth after dark : first they are many, second they’re more dangerous (they have the power to kill you in a blue painful death – yes, it’s as horrible as it sounds).

Jonathan Stroud‘s trick lies in the fact that only children and teenagers can sense them fully and then, fight them. I really like this idea because this way we don’t have to suspend our disbelief about the odds of teenagers investigating, and it constitutes an awesome premise in my opinion.

Plot wise, what we get here is a murder mystery… Annabel (don’t you think this is the most beautiful name of the world? Huh?) was a young socialite in the 60s when she brutally disappeared… until Lockwood and Co find her again during a fucked up mission.

SPOILER ALERT : She was dead.

This is precisely where the shoe pinches : PREDICTABILITY. Indeed I figured the mystery out pretty fast, and the ending confirmed everything I thought. Is it a fail, then?

No. I did guess what will happen around 50-60%, but it didn’t prevent me from enjoying my read, and to be fair, I still think that it was well-crafted for a MG, way darker and grittier than I would have at first imagined.

Anyway – despite my tendency to turn into some Nancy Drew, the story was still completely addictive. No need to say more.

If there’s still room for further improvement, for example when it comes to the depth of the characters, I grew attached to them and felt connected, which is not a sure thing in many books. Not to mention that since it’s a series, I can completely nurture the hope that they will be (more) developed.

In a word, if the characterization isn’t flawless, the author made me love his characters (all right, with a soft spot for Lockwood) and they’re FULL of potential in my opinion.

First of all, Lucy is a strong female lead, kickass but acknowledging her fears, in other words, my favorite kind. Her inner thoughts gave me several genuine and unexpected laughs (the best kind in my opinion) and I really appreciated the fact that she was never seen as the “weak” member of the team.

As for George, his nerdness and… hmm… weirdness is smile-inducing, I have to admit.

And last but not least : Lockwood! God, I love his sarcastic (but never mean) mind and his secretive personality. In my opinion characters are winners when 1)they feel real and 2)they make the readers want to know MORE about them, not because they’re one dimensional, but because what we do know is already fascinating. Yet he did annoy me when he started to keep his discoveries and hypothesis to himself : YOU ARE PART OF A TEAM, DUDE. Just don’t forget it. Sigh. I’m willing to forgive him, though, but do not do this anymore, okay?

But most of all I fell in love with the characters’ dynamics playing out in the ghosts hunting team : I genuinely think that we have never enough books where friendship is well-portrayed, especially when aiming a younger audience.

We need to talk about the scary scenes. Okay. I know what you think. Anna. You’re such a pussy.

Annnd you might be right. But. But. But. I didn’t imagine the way my heart pounded at some scenes. I’m not delusional. It did happen, and for me, it’s everything I need to know when dealing with a ghost story. Did I feel oppressed? YES. WELL DONE.

Let me get this straight : I wasn’t scared TO DEATH, but it did let me… What’s the word… Spooky? Jumpy? Now, what you need to know is that I grew up in a house where basically everyone believed in ghosts to a certain extend (not me, though – I’m the cynical of the bunch). My mother most of all. SO, MUM, THIS IS TOTALLY YOUR FAULT.

Also, in this world when there are ghosts there are spiders as well. Fucking SPIDERS. Will the nightmare never end??? *shivers*

There’s no denying that this book is incredibly well-written, and the narration surprisingly GREAT. Really, I am genuinely impressed by the writing and despite being MG, the characters hardly feel more juvenile than YA ones even if they are around 13? 14? 15? (What? I got lost at some point)

Not to mention that the dialogues made me smile more often than not. Think banter. Sarcasm.

► All in all, a really good introduction to this series, and I can hardly wait to read the sequel.

BOOK REVIEW: Poison Study (Study #1) by Maria V. Snyder

August 17, 2015 / Chelsea / 4 Comments

Poison Study (Study #1)
by Maria V. Snyder
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison...

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear..

Who better to have on my side? Rand, the cook, whose food I’d be eating on a daily basis, or Valek, the assassin, who had a nasty tendency of poisoning my meals?

Ahhh where do I even begin??? Is there even an adequate place to start? Wellll, first I’d like to give a shout out to my two vacant besties who did a ~~wonderful~~ horrible job of reading this with me-Hello, Bitches (you know who you are, my lovelies). They really missed out. While subtle in it’s charm, this book sneaks up on you like poison in your veins (Muaha I went there).

With a soft, languid pace, this book tricks you with it’s addicting nature-It isn’t rushed, hurried, nor overly stuffed with information, yet each chapter something significant happens that has you on the edge of your seat. Whether it’s an attack on Yelena to abduct her, a poison lecture on what to watch out for, or an actual tasting for the commander, I was never once bored and found myself idly wondering how this book could so be wonderful with it’s understated simplicity.

Shouldn’t, should, shouldn’t, should. So easy to say but so hard to believe.

I think that’s my favorite part, if I’m being honest-aside from the romance, duh-the beautiful writing. I don’t know why, but each page that passed had me begging for more even as plenty was happening. For such a simple job, Yelena has a lot of enemies, and with those enemies comes attacks, training, and so much more. I yearned for those moments when Valek had to come save the day because there was yet another threat on her life (and no, it wasn’t a tacky nine-lives deal like the Kathleen Turner series…this chick had real enemies). But he’s another story altogether…

I moved. In a heartbeat I twisted her arm behind her back. She yelped as I raised her hand up high, forcing her to bend forward.
“I am not a rat,” I said through clenched teeth. “I’ve proved my loyalty. You will get off my back. No more nasty messages in the dust. No more prying into my things. Or the next time, I’ll break your arm.” I shoved her hard as I released my grip.

Yelena. Omg I loved her. She was strong, determined, cunning, and brave. She was weak, scared, and the target of an evil man. She was so many things all wrapped up into one small package, and she was on the last leg of her life. A convicted and admitted murderer, she is next in line for noose. But then an opportunity arises where the next in line to die is to be offered the position of poison testing the Commander’s food. He is a powerful man who has many powerful enemies-all who want to be his successor and take his position as their own. So Yelena has a choice-die by noose the following morning, or agree to be the guinea pig and possibly die by poison on any given day if she doesn’t detect all traces of poison at any given time. But, in the end, there’s really no choice at all-Live with danger, or die.

Damn it, I thought, angry at myself. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about. I shouldn’t miss Valek; I should try harder to escape. I shouldn’t figure out the bean puzzle; I should sabotage it. I shouldn’t admire and respect him; I should vilify him.

Valek. Oh gosh he was perfection. A trained assassin loyal only to the Commander, he is appointed with teaching Yelena the art of poisons so she can be the food taster for the commander. Up until Yelena, Valek has been filling in the position after the last food taster met his untimely end. He is fierce, loyal, and a total hardass when it comes to training Yelena…but the same could be said of his defending her. A convicted felon is nothing in comparison to keeping his commander safe, but what happens when she starts to show her strength and determination? Her willingness to do whatever needs to be done to stay alive? What happens when attack after attack, he grows more and more desperate to keep her alive….even as he implies it’s nothing more than him doing his job and not wanting to have to train another poison tester.

My interactions with Valek resembled a performance on the tightrope. One minute I was confident and balanced, and the next insecure and unstable.

Come on, Valek, you adorably sly dog. We all know after training you should be moving on…Anywho, I adored them. They were absolutely adorable. He is a busy bee and she is doing everything she can to stay alive…but each time she thinks she’s alone and there’s no way she’ll get out of her predicament, who’s right behind her to save the day? A slow burn romance at it’s finest, we see them gradually falling for one another as each day passes, more confusion and desperation in preventing each action that might cause them pain or suffering…I couldn’t help but to become addicted, now could I?

Even more than the romance, though, was the friendships formed. I mean, it was absolutely adorable when she befriends two soldiers and they do everything in their power to keep her safe when Valek can’t. Loyal friends who train her in combat and watch out for her at every turn, I was almost as obsessed with them as I was the romance. It’s not often I find a friendship addicting, but this one got under my skin.

“It’s a dirty way to fight, but I’m late for lunch.”

So, you know, I loved this one. And why wouldn’t I? Romance, betrayal, a mercurial assassin, and a ton of action that never seems to cease no matter how breezy the pace, I was hooked from Valek’s first smirk (Chapter one, duh). I know there was much more I wanted to say, but sometimes it’s best to leave things be. I will try to chill out and let you all decide on your own if this is for you or not-but just know: It’s not only a romance, though there is an ample amount of longing you’ll do for she and Valek to just kiss already!!! It’s a story of strength and strong-will, a determination to break free and save what you hold dear, and a wonderful world of castles and watching your back even though you have a group that supports your every move…I just loved it so much. Literally my only problem? I wanted more. Sigh…such a horrible predicament, isn’t it? Ciao, Bellas.

BOOK REVIEW: The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu

August 12, 2015 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1)
by Marie Lu
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

“Come out, demon.” His smile fades, replaced with a chilling blankness. “Come out, so we can play.”

I can’t breathe. I swear to God-I literally. Can’t. Breathe.

I was in shock. I was in utter denial. I was half hyperventilating and half watching Friends (I mean, I have to calm down somehow, right?). The beginning and the end….they were truly something to behold. When I picked this book up, it felt right. Near the end, I was an absolute mess and completely engrossed in what could possibly become of these wonderfully flawed characters-And that is really saying something, because somewhere in the middle I had decided I didn’t care anymore-Go figure.

Who will ever want you, Adelina?
My fury heightens. Everyone. They will cower at my feet, and I will make them bleed.

I always say I won’t write a long review and then I proceed to write an even longer review. It’s one of my many ~~curses~~ gifts-The gift of gab. But, with so many mixed emotions, I feel it would be unfair-or rather, very hard on myself-to write a review on a book that I both loved and hated. Because I did-I loved and hated it. And I think that’s testament to this author-everyone adores Marie Lu. And as a person? I think she’s great. As a writer-So creative. But, somewhere along the lines, she always loses me in her books. It’s like, do you have a certain way you’d love things to go in your mind when you read? Especially dystopian or peril-ish type books? Well, I do, and most authors tend to either go exactly in the direction I want it to-but much better-or somewhere very close and very pleasing to me. But, with Marie Lu, she always…veers off. And I don’t know why. I never like the journeys her books take, but I generally always love the end result. I guess we will call that a matter of creative differences.

My sorrow turns to anger, then to ice-cold fury. My soul curls in on itself in defense. I am gone. I am truly gone.
I am not sorry.

The beginning. Strong. Haunting. Engrossing. It immediately draws you in and you’re like-Fuck yes, this is going to be epic. And the beginning is.

I struggle feebly against my chains. My legs are shaking violently. I want to hide my body from all of these people, hide my flaws from their curious eyes. Is Violetta somewhere in this crowd? I scan the faces for her, then look up toward the sky. It’s such a beautiful day-how can the sky possibly be this blue? Something wet rolls down my cheek. My lip quivers.
Gods, give me strength. I am so afraid.

We learn of a girl who is badly mistreated because of a genetic defect she can’t help, a genetic defect she acquired through no fault of her own when she was younger-it effected more than just her because of a plague or something. The kids effected by this plague are labeled malfettos….they are mistreated and deemed not fit to be a part of society. But there’s one strong male who is gathering malfettos-the best of the best. They are called the Young Elites….and he’s coming for Adelina. (By far one of my favorite scenes of book, second only to the end). Rating? 5/5.

The Middle. I’m sorry, the middle just….ugh. It lost my interest. And it’s not because it wasn’t good-it was. It just….wasn’t for me. It gave me negative angst-not the good angst I crave and am sickeningly in love with. No, this angst had me losing sleep (not in the giddy, excited way) and worrying if Lu was going to ruin the end for me (yes, I’m very selfish like that)…and basically the middle was what I was speaking of earlier-It just wasn’t going where I wanted it to go. Boring and almost cause for DNF….which is never a thought in my mind. Rating? 2/5.

Enzo watches me silently. The lanterns on the courtyard wall outline his face in a halo of damp, golden light, and the beads of water glitter in the darkness. He is such a startlingly different beauty from Raffaele-dark, intense, wary, perhaps even menacing-but I see a softness in him, a stirring desire. Something mysterious flickers in his eyes.

The End. Can you really put this fucking epic end into words? Can you? I’m not so sure. Let’s just say-It’s my absolute favorite. Most-perilistically-pleasing. Sickening. Maddeningly perfect. Ending type ever. Ever. I got exactly what I normally want but…Marie Lu? You got some balls, girl. Because…

Rating? 10/5. I’m not happy about it, though.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.
My turn.

So, you know. I don’t know what to say. I hated it. I loved it. It was perfect. It had dumb parts. It was intense…but only in the beginning and not until the very end. I don’t know. I mean, are we all always so sure what works for us? Why something doesn’t click until we get precisely what we want? Is it fair? I never have a problem with authors playing things out as they please, but, I definitely am feeling a little harsh on this one. But, eh, I’ve always been fickle. Take what you want from this review-I have no clue what to say to anyone, anyway.

If you want a more thorough and well thought out review, check out Anna’s review. Thanks for joining, Bug!

BOOK REVIEW – The Secret Fire (The Secret Fire #1) by C.J. Daugherty, Carina Rozenfeld

August 11, 2015 / Anna

The Secret Fire (The Secret Fire #1)
by C.J. Daugherty, Carina Rozenfeld
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
French teen Sacha Winters can't die. He can throw himself off a roof, be stabbed, even shot, and he will always survive. Until the day when history and ancient enmities dictate that he must die. Worse still, his death will trigger something awful. Something deadly. And that day is closing in.

Taylor Montclair is a normal English girl, hanging out with her friends and studying for exams, until she starts shorting out the lights with her brain. She’s also the only person on earth who can save Sacha.

There’s only one problem: the two of them have never met. They live hundreds of miles apart and powerful forces will stop at nothing to keep them apart.

They have eight weeks to find each other.

Will they survive long enough to save the world?

➱ Would I have enjoyed The Secret Fire more if I hadn’t read plenty of paranormal young adult books before? Definitely. Sadly, as much as I would want to, I can’t unread all these books and that’s why I can’t ignore all the annoying tropes that spoiled my read.

PART ONE : DO NOT LIKE

Indeed Taylor, the MC, is so perfect and annoying I want to puke. Like, really. Let me draw a little list, okay?

✅ She’s a straight-As student and only think about studying, because of course, that’s how the majority of teenagers are.

✅ She’s top-volunteer of the year (really, she won an award or something) but you know what? She didn’t show me an ounce of her so-called kindness when it comes to the way she handles her relationship with her best friend. No. She’s condescending towards everyone, and she wants us to think that she’s a paragon of virtue and made me roll my eyes almost as often as Snowhite in Once Upon a Time (aka. every time she opens her mouth).

✅ She thinks she’s not attractive (SPOILER ALERT : She is). She complains about her hair which is curly blond and here’s her explanation :

“Blonde hair should be straight and silky.”

Are you for real?

✅ She dates some perfect golden boy and she has no idea why he’s interested in her.

✅ She blushes all the freaking time. Of course she does. Sigh.

Frankly, I hated her chapters and I don’t know if the author’s writing is to blame but I didn’t like at all the way the characterization was handled : too many useless details about Taylor (like, the countless tea descriptions : I DON’T CARE), and not a drop of interest toward the other characters (mostly Tom, the one-dimensional boyfriend, and Georgie, the hot best friend, who isn’t slut-shamed but who is still mostly defined by her looks and her lack of interest in studying).

“He looked dangerous. And that danger had a magnetic force.”

Oh, please. Not that again.

Give me a wounded boy, okay. But please don’t think I’m stupid enough to find normal that the female lead realizes things about him in 2 seconds when SHE OBVIOUSLY CAN’T. I’m sorry, that’s not how relationships work. Anyway, I did enjoy his chapters more than Taylor’s ones. Indeed 1)the storyline is way more interesting there (it includes gun shots, gambling, and general deception) and 2)he’s completely fucked-up. Of course I ship that, duh.

However as much as I liked his character at first, from the moment that he *really* met Taylor his behavior screamed FRAUD to me : I mean, come on.

First Taylor decides to go to Paris (aka in a foreign country) for 2 days a)after talking with him online only TWICE, b)without telling anyone where she is. Does it not break some elementary safety rules to you? Because to me that’s beyond stupid and dangerous. I don’t care if your teacher asked you to tutor him. He could be a psychopath for all you know.

Their attraction is cliché, unconvincing and sometimes beyond ridiculous : we’re offered a lot of blushing, staring, OMG what it is happening to me!! kind of stuff, and frankly, I was laughing and screaming HORMONES! Sigh. Does nobody talk about hormones to teenagers these days? I’m starting to wonder.

Frankly, I kept rolling my eyes every time they talk to each other/think about each other. Everything sounds so CLICHÉ. Really, we are spared none of it.

✅ The descriptions they make of each other are roll-eyed worthy. For real, I was choking on the cheese.

Taylor about Sasha : “He had the longest lashes she could ever remember seeing. Like black feathers against his cheeks.” Of course he does. Because he’s a cat or something.
Sasha about Taylor : “She had even, white teeth and full pink lips, and when she smiled she lit up as if illuminated by some inner light. She was one of those people.” I’m not even gonna comment on that.

✅ She blushes for no reason every time he looks at her/talks to her/whatever. No reason I said.

✅ “She liked the way her name sounded when he said it.” Enough said.

✅ Their interactions are silly, juvenile, and again, cliché. Example?

“He chuckled. “And you’re just some English girl with a leaf in your hair.”
“There’s a leaf in my hair?” Reaching up, she felt for objects.
“Here, let me.” Leaning towards her, Sacha pulled the leaf from a curl carefully. Her hair felt incredibly soft beneath his fingertips.” Nah, I didn’t see that move coming. *roll-eyes*

Oh! And she smells like sunlight! What is it, I don’t know, but apparently, it’s a great smell.

Conclusion :

“How do you spend one day with someone and decide they belong in your life?”

I don’t know, you DON’T?

I mean, why fucking bother? We have :

✅ The best friend who is only here to show how much fucking better Taylor is supposed to be. As I already said, I didn’t like at all the patronizing way Georgie is treated by Taylor, and for me her role is strictly restricted as how her actions can manipulate the reader into thinking that Taylor is worth it. It didn’t work on me.

✅ The boyfriend who turns into a jerk the minute she meets Sacha. *rise eyebrow* How convenient.

✅ The teachers whose behavior screams trouble from the start.
In my opinion the whole premise is wobbly : the whole “I want you to interact” plot stank of put-up job from the start. Just sayin’.

✅ The families who make a special appearance sometimes but just disappear when – well again, when it’s convenient.

The premise sounded really interesting to me, especially on Sacha’s side : a boy who can’t die whatever happens because his death is planned for his eighteen’s birthday? Paris and London settings? Count me in. Unfortunately it lacked some depth to really enthrall me and I found myself reading their story only as a distant witness : I didn’t care about their fate that much, especially in Taylor’s case (goddammit, this girl made my head ache)

PART TWO : NOT BAD

I thought that the paranormal aspects were pretty good and original, and therefore were by far the better part of the book. Indeed the only moments I felt invested in the story where when Sacha tried to deal with the frightening creatures and the impact of his family’s curse on his life. Taylor’s intake would have probably been captivating too – too bad the girl made my head bleed. I really liked how it was linked to medieval witches hunt and frankly, I can see how this book could please a lot of readers if you manage to get over the overused tropes submentioned and the cliché phrasing, that is.

Indeed the action in the last 30% kept me on the edge of my seat :
– Sacha’s struggles and discoveries captivated me and made me want to learn more and more about the creatures he faces and the characteristics of his curse.
– The events started to be less predictable and their shocked factor increased.
– Even Taylor’s chapters improved grandly : indeed her Mary Sue status is FINALLY put aside and she starts to become a heroine I can like, making me hope for her role in the sequel. From her relationships with other characters (most of all Louisa, who I enjoyed a lot) to her inner thoughts and decisions, I can’t deny that she grew on me a little bit.

✘ I still have a problem though : If I always liked Sasha and if Taylor’s behavior improved in the end, I still hate them together. I’m sorry, but I can’t help, they make me gag and they feel fake to me when they’re together.

Finally, I’m not sure that I will give the sequel a try, but if I do I hope that it will be more free of these annoying tropes that spoiled most of my read. Look, I know that tropes are useful, but really, the Mary Sue one? The insta-something one? They don’t add anything to a story in my opinion, and even worst, they waste it.

*arc kindly provided by Bookouture through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*