My daughter and I picked up this one to read together, mainly because we're fans of Holly Black and thought this might be different but similar (as something to read in between Black novels). No, not really. A Court of Thorns and Roses lacks an edge that makes other fantasy authors shine. 

While plenty of people like the series, we found the A Court of Thorns and Roses too predictable. If you have a hunch of where the story is going or where it will end, you are probably right — with the only burning question being which "Mr. Right" will be the right one for her. Although chances are, you might be right about that too. Ugh. 

It's a bit of a shame. Feyre starts out as a strong female character on the front end, being the primary provider for her family in a human village not that far from the human-faerie border. However, her world is suddenly turned upside down when she shoots a wolf that is actually a faerie shapeshifter. As punishment for her crime, she is sentenced to be imprisoned in a fairie-land fantasy castle for the rest of her life (without a trial), and all her early strength evaporates into a victim story. 

While in fairie-land, Feyre proves to be too indecisive, too whiny, and too prone to gushing in front of male figures — and that's just what my daughter says — to be likable. I just found her annoying most of the time, and the challenges she faced were relatively benign. But that might be me. I'm not fond of characters who say, "woe is me" every few sentences. 

There came the point when we were both glad we were coming to an end, even reading the last three chapters in a single sitting, not because they were exciting, but because the finish line was in sight. I won't spoil the ending here, but it is fair to say that everything that is important to the protagonist — her family, values, painting, hunting, and everything that makes her an independent person — goes by the wayside in favor of male attention and affection.