Jenn

I picked this up because I read a review that said it got them out of a reading slump and I was in one too. It's wonderful, weird, unexpected, and fun. One of those where you just don't want it to end. Slump, over.

Neil is now a new favorite author for me and I've put a bunch more of his books on my TBR.

I absolutely loved this book, but it wouldn't be for everyone. It's dark, depressing, and has a lot of but also hopeful. I related to the main character so much and saw so many of my anxious thoughts in her head.

It was also written in a very interesting way. Short speedy segments mixed in with longer chapters. The pace was perfect for me and I finished it very quickly. I'd love to see more of our heroine.

Took a bit for me to get into, the writing was a bit irritating with some “profound” thought at the end of basically every paragraph. It really took me out of it. I pressed on because I actually bought the book and it did go quicker in the second half. The twists were fun and I enjoyed the setting. Not amazing but not terrible if you're looking for a quick thriller.

A good story from a unique perspective. I finished this book quickly and it got me out of my reading slump.

The narrator was very chatty, I don't mind that but there was a chapter that was Q/A style that I thought was a little cheesy and too much tell. But other than that one chapter, I really enjoyed the book.

I'm not sure how I came across this book, and I somehow missed that this was by the same author who wrote The Pisces. I feel bad giving it two stars because I think I'm just not her audience.

There's some interesting themes around eating disorders, self hate/acceptance, parent/child relationships that were explored among other things, but parts of it was just so gross it kept me at a distance and I couldn't really enjoy it.

That said, I'm so glad the writer is who she is and writes what she wants how she wants to write it. She doesn't shy away and that's admirable.

This is a fun quick read for me. The cover is gorgeous, and one of the several reasons I picked it for my book of the month! I enjoy historical fiction and who isn't intrigued by a little shop of poisons? I wish it was pushed a little further (more mystery, more poison, more mystical), but I'm excited to see what's next for this author. She has all the right ingredients and it's a great first book.

This took me a little while to get into this one, but eventually it clicked and then I couldn't put it down. The Valkyrie storyline was so fun, I learned to appreciate Nesta, and it was cool to see the world and story still be engaging with my two fave characters in the backseat. I loved it, and I love this series.

I missed a couple of the side characters through, they kind of disappeared. I hope they show up in the next!

Really disliked this book. After talking with some friends who enjoyed it, a hypothesis on why I didn't like it is that this is my first experience with Glennon. If you've followed her story and read her other work this one would probably hit different for you.

To me, it was preachy, unrealistic (like... who talks like that in the moment to their children/partners/colleagues/friends? I gave it a good go and listened as I painted my bathroom, but there was a lot of eye rolling and the only word that kept coming up was “insufferable.” I finished painting, but I couldn't finish the book. Hard pass.

This was so good! All the things that bugged me from the first book are resolved in this one. The characters have more depth, Fayre grows a ton, and the world feels richer. Several scenes are so well written, I feel like I watched them, not read them. Absolutely loved it, can't wait to read the next.

Loved it. It was a fun world to explore with a familiar beauty and the beast plot. Crushed this book in less than two days, it was fun to be swept up like that.

I docked a star because I did find it a little too neat and perfect. At one point I was like “oh so this is literally just the story of Beauty and the Beast but the beast is hot the whole time and we get to read about them boning, k” I also don't understand how the heroine can be so crafty and smart and also SO DUMB at the same time. A little cruel on the authors part because it's clearly just to add some fake friction and our clever girl deserves better. I enjoy character studies and world building but I feel like something must have happened in the editing process because it's all mystery and intrigue for a few hundred pages and then a single character tells all in a single monologue. Also somehow the phrase “my bowels turned watery” shows up 3 times and it's just way too vivid and awkward to use more than once.

So a little bit disappointing but I still had so much fun and can't wait to read the next!

Loved this book. It got recommended to me because I loved The Midnight Library and it did not disappoint! Oona could be a bit grating sometimes and make some really horrible decisions for seemingly no reason at all, but it wasn't enough for me to not fully enjoy every chapter. It's a fun premise and not like anything I've read before. It's quick and fun but there's some depth and the underlying message to live presently is one I need to hear often.

“Works of art are infinitely solitary and nothing is less likely to reach them than criticism.”

Underlined nearly every single line. I will definitely be rereading this a few times a year, it's short, concentrated, and potent - necessary to read over and over again.

I just wish Kappus included his own letters.