eetishmeh's reviews
21 reviews

This book was awesome! I loved the overall vibe and how the author adds sources at the end. I think Tru was slightly underdeveloped in some aspects, but overall she felt like a real person I could know. 
I enjoyed how Tru's difficulties with her disability were not glossed over, and how she courageously powered through her doubts. I aspire to be as brave as her, truly. 
I love Od's character and how she never loses her spark, despite the many awful happenings she was subject to in her lifetime. If these girls possess anything, it's definitely bravery and determination. 
It took me a while to get into the story, though that's just due to personal preference, I'm sure. (I tend to read fast contemporary books the most.)
I loved the storyteller aspect of the book. I've seen many people mention how the synopsis is misleading, but the copy I own has a different synopsis than the one on the Storygraph. This one fits the book much more, in my opinion. 

[This review was written without reading the perquisite Caraval books.]
Not my cup of tea, but from an objective standpoint I can tell how well-written it is. I adored the worldbuilding and the Magnificent North, but Evangeline tends to think in repetitive sentences whicu got tiring quick 🥲
The starting was meh for me (rofan veteran readers may think differently; I don't usually read this genre), but it picked up later with the mystery. Would've brought this up to 4 stars if not for some situations I thought were overly possessive in terms of interactions (

Jacks nipping Evangeline's ear and gripping her by the waist even though she was uncomfortable 😭 He didn't have to go that far

) which I believe were unnecessary. 

I don't know how I feel about Jacks potentially being Evangeline's love interest. He's done a lot of terrible things to her so far, and lemme just say that it'll take an out-of-this-world redemption arc to get me to be on-board with that. Whenever I think I'm starting to like Jacks, he turns around and pulls a new stunt :') I have faith in Stephanie Garber, though, because I can tell she's a good writer + my friend who's read the Caraval series vouches for her ability to do that haha

Also, this book is just a walking amatonormative theme, which was off-putting especially because I'm demiromantic 🥲
Conclusion: I think I'd be better off with Caraval tbh

A great elementary-grade sci-fi book!
A few repetitions, and the dialogue comes off as stilted sometimes, but overall a very enjoyable series with a nice conclusion. I loved the themes of the undertone, and am happy with how Chipper's arc wrapped up. 
Would recommend for younger kids or for a beach read. 

A heavy yet fascinating read about the horrors of the Holocaust. I did not know much of this before, and I'm glad I got to understand this piece of history more through Jane Yolen's writing. 

[This review was written after reading the 2nd book in this duology.]
Tess is a compelling character whose self-deprecating thoughts I relate to. My past isn't the same as hers, yet the way we deal with our problems internally is extremely similar. I love how Rachel Hartman wrote her struggle, weaved together with amazing vocabulary and detailed worldbuilding as Tess put her boots on and walked the endless road. 
Her journey of self discovery begs one to look inwards and wonder—could I do the same?
If you're asking that, well, that's already the first step, isn't it?

I have to say, Rachel Hartman's books always leave me amazed.
Her intricate worldbuilding strikes again in In the Serpent's Wake, and, as expected from this series, the internal conflict and reflections of the characters are a major part of it.
I love how it tackles the issue of colonisation and the injustice to native people, along with other things like worries about gender + gender presentation, moral standing, and interpersonal relationships.

I like how Tess finally came to the realisation that ko shouldn't be used unless someone consents to it/she shouldn't have been calling the quigutl by gendered pronouns in Ninysh without asking. When she first noted her disdain for ko in the 1st book, I was a bit worried in which direction it'd go in—I'm thankful I kept my faith in this duology! I love how Spira tried a few different sets of pronouns before settling on teu/teur, and that Tess admitted she had a crush on both Jacomo and Marga.

I'd recommend this series to someone who wants a reflective and insightful read, yet also adores fantasy settings and worldbuilding! 

This book was a nice read! I always love a good story about different realities. It's an easy topic to mess up, but this book certainly handled it well! Also, I really love lunar eclipses. 
The characters are very lovable and relatable, and I love the way it tackles heavy subjects in an easy way for younger readers to understand while not taking away the true weight of the subjects. 
I'd definitely recommend this to elementary- to middle-grade readers, or older if you want a quick read. (I myself am a high school student.)

I wish Mae had a more conclusive ending, though. It felt a bit strange to have her appear as a plot device a couple times only to be forgotten.

This was absolutely amazing. However, it was extremely dark and touches on a lot of sensitive themes, so I recommend looking up trigger and/or content warnings first. 

Bubblegum gothic describes it perfectly. It's about a child of Nimue, Isola Wilde, who bears the gift—or perhaps, curse—of seeing things others cannot. It follows her journey of acceptance and grief, and is delightfully feminist as well. It deals with mental illnesses, the stigma surrounding it, and how it affects both the person dealing with it and the people around them both while also keeping in step with macabre fairytale magic. 

The characters in this book were beautifully written, with complex stories, relationships and personalities, as should be expected from a novel that is so character-focused. In it, internal and external conflict mixes and switches, much like the realities Isola spends her time walking the fine divider of. 

I highly recommend this to those who love dark, twisted fairytales which aren't exactly retellings, and to those who are looking for a mystery that turns internal turmoil outwards. 

This is one of the best stories I've consumed in a while; it's hard to believe that this is Allyse Near's first novel, what with the distinct storytelling style and the seamless way the writing is woven.