ebbiebooks's reviews
464 reviews

It started out strong, but I feel like the last quarter or so wasn't as engaging. I also think I might have liked it better if it went harder on the darker side of the story. Or maybe the story of Okiku is much more interesting than the one of... basically everyone else, even the big bad other ghost.

Okiku and Callie are the most interesting characters in the story, and sometimes it felt like there was much space made for others that wasn't necessary, or maybe it was a bit awkward or felt like it was utilitary.

But it's still a very solid debut and I will definitely read more from this author. I liked the way they played with the layout of the text and the intrusive voices from the spirits now and then. 

This one felt a little bit scattered, but it's still very good nonetheless. Looking forward to the next one.

The blend of action + hilariousness is on point and I've decided to stop lowballing each volumes with 4 and 4.5.
I've laughed out loud many times reading this, and I'm going to check out the author's previous work as well.

It's good enough in a readable way, maybe more like a 3.5 to 3.75.

The last leap between the end and "now" is still a bit stretchy to me. And the whole mind manipulation/r*pe is... I don't know, but not the best. Like I get it, but also, I guess it could have been better explained and motivated. The timing of the flashback for the injuries of Levana should have come way sooner, and when you put it into context with the rest of her actions, it makes her whole building of the book crumble a little.

It's one thing to make us believe they see the rando commoner and people of Earth like a little more than livestock, the escalation to murderous intent is way too quick and weird giving her own backstory. The way she's portrayed is also kinda strange since she has this urge to belong with someone or people, there's a softness here and there + judgement and contempt against her parents, her sister and some nobility. There are flaws in how the author tried to make her become a complex villain, with an arc from "good" to evil. Sometimes, "cartoon villains" should stay cartoonish.

I don't think this is a ground breaking book, though it is critical of trends (online and socially) regarding how we conceptualize our life, happiness, "negative emotions" negativity, etc. I already followed the author on Instagram, and while I'm not always the audience for everything she does, I like how she presents a critical view point on commonplace ideas most people blurt out in front of challenging and uncomfortable feelings.

I liked that the booked adressed oppressions as something that just cannot be "positive toughts" away, though I would have liked we spend more time on that, and maybe on how psychology or therapy can/cannot help with that. I would have liked it stated that failed social responsabilities are not something we can individually cure, though it is somewhat implied.

I also liked that "healing" and "improving oneself" were portraied as something that can become toxic as well, when it becomes the metric upon which you judge everyone and yourself, just like people judge other's health, whether they put too much or not enough effort into it, etc.

Also like the part about body positivity v. body neutrality. It's something even well meaning activist forgets, and the shame tactics that come along with those are leaving a lot of people alone with their struggles.

I'll have to get back to the physical book at some point, to highlight some things here and there. I'll probably recommend it to a few people, that are of the verge of being too lost in the positivity sauce, and they are starting to get hurt by it without knowing it.

I'm going to finish this series, but it's not the one for me. I think it's a bit too serious. It also has the Dragon Ball syndrom in the way it uses combat in the plot. I don't care that much about combat between absurdly powerful characters, yet I'm given those every volume or so.

Also, I don't know if I'm too dumb, but I seem to be missing what's the goal of the characters. They don't seem to have one, or it flip-flops whenever someone needs something from them at this point. There's some political stuff, but it doesn't feel grounded much, like nothing matter that much anyway. Maybe because the characters don't really have that big a connection with court stuff, and not that much either with sect's powerplay. Everything falls a litte flat.

This is such a weird one as it does very funny bits and the tone is unserious a lot, yet it's also really sad and touching at time. I would like more MeowMeow content too.

It's fine.
The way suicide is talking about is a bit unsettling, moreover if you're from a culture where mental wellness/illness, therapy and meds are "normalized", as no one in this book even entertain the idea of seeking professional help.

But I still felt it was also interesting in that sense, as someone who isn't exactly struggling with ideation lately but as been in the past and might in the future. I wouldn't recommend this book to someone who is actively struggling with those tho.

Otherwise, I like the mystery surrounding Ayane's death, but I think I would have wanted a more "gang of young sleuths" vibe, with some kind of darker undertone even. Oh well.

I also think that the translation is alright, but feels a little dry. Idk, might already be written in that tone in the og text, so maybe it's just not what I was looking for with this story I guess.

Look, I've read Twilight back in the days, and even then I wasn't the intended audience. But it was immensely readable, and though cringe at times, it somehow hold together.

This does not. It's a bucket of cringe wrapped in many useless scene to fill up pages. And then you have so many cheap betrayal and "twist", you can only roll your eyes at the author. YA doesn't mean the reader is stupid, Cassandra.

The multiple references were exhausting. It didn't help me like or admire the characters, nor the author for that matter. It was just a weird flex and rarely did it support signficantly anything in the story. It just broke what little flow it had going for it.

Finally, Clary and Jace are stupid names. You can still do self-insert with a name that doesn't copy yours that much, and a name that isn't so grating. But I guess it's fitting since both characters are horribly annoying, even when they're not supposed to be.