(You can also find this review on my blog!)

This book is brilliantly written, eerie, haunting, and just so, so good. At the end of the book, my heart was scattered all over the place, and my mind was reeling, thinking about just how brilliant it was!

The writing
When I read the first few chapters, I was immediately intrigued. There was something about the author’s writing that is both alluring and haunting; the way she described the town of Sparrow, the curse, the people, the way she conveyed the thoughts and emotions of the main character Penny Talbot, and other characters as well.

I also loved the flow of the book, the way the author told the whole story. It did not just focus on Penny’s perspective, it revolved around other characters and past events as well. So throughout the story, I witnessed multiple past events unfurl, and saw how it came down to the present story.

The characters
I also love the characters in this story, not just the main characters but the other characters involved as well. The characterization was so good, it seemed like every character in the book has their own story to tell—Penny, Bo, Penny’s mother, Penny’s dad, the Swan sisters Marguerite, Aurora, and Hazel, Rose, the townspeople, everyone. I truly felt like every character was involved in the story and that they all had their own significant parts.

The plot
I absolutely loved the plot of this book! It was haunting and truly intriguing. There were times when I would express my reaction out loud because I didn’t see a plot twist coming or that the current situation was getting frustrating and I didn’t know what would happen next.

The plot kept me buried in the book. I wanted to know what happened two centuries ago with Marguerite, Aurora, and Hazel, and I also wanted to know what will happen next in the present-day story and how will Penny and Bo and everyone in Sparrow will survive the curse, if they survive the curse. The plot made me crave. I think that’s the right word for it! It made me crave for a conclusion that will satisfy the hunger I felt throughout reading the book haha!

Also, there were certain points in the plot which I have sort of predicted, but still the author’s writing left me in awe and shocked. I swear it was so, so good!

Quotes from the book

“Love is an enchantress—devious and wild. It sneaks up behind you, soft and gentle and quiet, just before it slits your throat.”

“We wait for death. We hold our breath. We know it’s coming, and still we flinch when it claws at our throats and pulls us under.”

“We’re deadlocked in a strange battle of secrecy. Neither of us is willing to tell the truth. Neither of us is willing to let the other one in.”

“Even her grief can’t keep her from kindness.”

“But how do you let yourself unravel in front of someone, knowing your armor is the only thing keeping you safe.

So I don’t say anything. I keep my heart hidden deep and dark in my chest.”