This is the first time I've felt a bit meh about these books, which made me sad.
It was still a good book, entertaining and captivating as all the otheThis is the first time I've felt a bit meh about these books, which made me sad.
It was still a good book, entertaining and captivating as all the others, but there were a few things that made me less enthusiastic about the book than normal.
First of all, I think the pacing in this book wasn't very good. It started pretty well, but then after some action it dragged and dragged on for a while. (view spoiler)[ The scenes in the hospital were tedious, and I didn't like the whole deal with the echoes. It felt kind of like the author realized she had made Elf medicine too powerful and needed to think of this very complex reason why Sophie had to stay in the hospital for a while. (hide spoiler)]
Then there was also the fact that this book introduced a lot of new elements, which made it feel less cohesive and a little messy. I'm not sure how relevant this will all be in the long run, and I had a hard time getting myself to care about it. (view spoiler)[ I didn't care for Sophie's new bodyguard group, and didn't really feel like the troll stuff was all that interesting, even when it came up in the story's conclusion. (hide spoiler)]
My biggest gripe is probably the romance. I've never been a fan of how it was handled in these books. There was a love square (now triangle) that Sophie seemed somewhat aware of but never really acknowledged, and even now that some stuff has started happening, she keeps seeming willfully oblivious. Not only that, but the plot keeps providing reasons why she can't just be together with one person, when it's obvious the two like each other. (view spoiler)[ I'm not particularly fond of the Sophie/Fitz ship, but then again I don't think I'm very fond of Sophie/Keefe either. I like her relationship with them both, but I prefer to explore them in a platonic way rather than focus on the crushes. That said, there's no good reason why Sophie and Fitz aren't just dating, when it's so clear they like each other and they even said so in this book. It feels to me like the author doesn't want them to get together yet, but keeps having to invent reasons to keep that from happening. (hide spoiler)] Another problem I had with this aspect of the story was that Sophie barely seemed to get any time with her friends that aren't potential love interests. (view spoiler)[ Dex is again largely missing from this book, as he seems to have disappeared a little since getting over his crush on Sophie. It's like he's not important anymore now that he's not a 'candidate' for the position of Sophie's boyfriend. (hide spoiler)] For example, I would love to see her interact more with her female friends, or Wylie or Tam. But that barely seems to happen.
That all said, I still did enjoy the book. For such a long book, I flew through it and really wanted to keep reading and see what was happening. But I think that's largely because I've grown invested in the characters over the past books, and not so much the plot of this particular book. I do feel sad that I now have to wait for the next one, though. I am really curious where the plot goes after this, but I hope it's a bit more focused. This book felt a little like a filler in some places, even though it did introduce a lot of new information as well....more
I've been listening to the podcast The Adventure Zone for years now, and have been anticipating getting my hands on this graphic novel. Thanks to my sI've been listening to the podcast The Adventure Zone for years now, and have been anticipating getting my hands on this graphic novel. Thanks to my sister for letting me borrow it!
I loved reading the first story in the adventure in this format. I feel like they did a great job adapting the podcast to a comic, keeping the same tone and feel of the podcast. I think that is probably very difficult to do, but they did it really well. The story was streamlined a bit, but for the most part it stayed very true to the source material. The art was wonderful to look at and really enhanced the story.
All in all, a wonderful experience. I would love for this book to introduce more people to The Adventure Zone, both in this form and its original format. Reading this has inspired me to go back and listen to the early episodes again.
Review to come, holy crap. --- This book was even better than Scythe, I think it did everything a good sequel I don't know how to deal with any of this.
Review to come, holy crap. --- This book was even better than Scythe, I think it did everything a good sequel should do. It expanded the world in new and interesting ways, it showed the characters we know and love in new situations and it introduced new and interesting characters. This book was a wild ride, and the ending was absolutely amazing. I couldn't stop reading once I got past a certain point.
I think it's really impressive how much I started caring about new character Greyson Tolliver almost immediately. I think it takes a good author to make you care so much about a new character right away. Seeing more of the Thunderhead's perspective was great too. The idea of an AI that isn't shown as a malevolent force really fascinates me, and that's partly why I like this universe so much. It's really unlike anything else I've ever seen.
Now I have to wait for the next one, argh. ...more
The only other Jane Austen book I have read so far is Pride and Prejudice, which I really enjoyed. I enjoyed Emma as well! It was nice to read about hThe only other Jane Austen book I have read so far is Pride and Prejudice, which I really enjoyed. I enjoyed Emma as well! It was nice to read about her life and see her personality grow and change throughout the book. I think the development is done beautifully, and I adore how flawed she is at the start of the novel. I really like how the writing is largely from Emma's point of view, but still manages to convey just how wrong she is on some points. It's really well done, and I definitely felt captivated by the story even if the pace was very low compared to more modern books.
I'll take a bit of a break now, but I definitely want to read more Austen in the future. It's nice to read a classic every once in a while, and I always marvel at how well these stories hold up even in the modern day....more
For most of this book I felt like not much was happening, but the last half was pretty good and it really pulled me along. I think with3.5 rounded up.
For most of this book I felt like not much was happening, but the last half was pretty good and it really pulled me along. I think with these books I just have to get used to the pacing, which fits the setting and time period and can be a bit slow at times. A lot does happen, it just takes a while for things to really get rolling. But I did enjoy this book a lot more than the second, and I find it interesting how every book in this series is very different while still staying consistent with the worldbuilding and characters.
I enjoyed seeing more of Melody in this book, and the fact that we got to see her have more depth was very nice. I do think the author changed her a quite a bit compared to the first book, but she did also get older so it does make sense. The romance was sweet, if a bit predictable, but that's not unexpected. I also enjoyed seeing more of the magic in this world and the different uses for it, it seems like every book in the series expands on that in interesting ways.
All in all, an enjoyable read. I've found myself attached enough to the characters to want to know what happens next, so I'll definitely be continuing this series....more
I read Vicious only last year, so I didn't have the long wait many other people had. Still, I was a little skeptical about a sequel to that book. I liI read Vicious only last year, so I didn't have the long wait many other people had. Still, I was a little skeptical about a sequel to that book. I like V.E. Schwab's writing, but I wondered how any book was going to expand on that story, which felt pretty much finished to me.
But I think Vengeful did the job, for the most part. I loved the new characters that were introduced, and the new conflict this added to the story. I loved the addition of Marcella and June, their powers were very interesting to read about.
Sometimes the time jumps in the story were a little confusing to me, but for the most part it worked. I was very satisfied with the story, and only have one complaint. I didn't really like the ending, but I also feel like I probably didn't really understand it completely. It didn't pack the punch the ending of the previous book did, and felt a lot more confusing and vague to me....more
I enjoyed Dumplin' when I read it, but I think I liked Puddin' even more. The fact that it focuses on two very different girls and their development iI enjoyed Dumplin' when I read it, but I think I liked Puddin' even more. The fact that it focuses on two very different girls and their development into friends just really drew me in. I found myself caring a lot about both Callie and Millie, and enjoying either point of view. I liked that Callie wasn't toned down for this book. At the start, she was still pretty awful and did a lot of bad things. The author did a good job of making you understand why she did those things, and it never felt annoying to read from her perspective.
I also loved that both girls' parents were shown as flawed human beings, but not entirely awful. Both the mothers come to mind especially, as they had both good moments and less good ones. (view spoiler)[ I enjoyed the parts about Millie's mother, despite how awful she was at times. It felt very realistic. I also liked how Callie didn't always feel like she fit in with her family. These were both conflicts outside of boys and high school that did add to both girls' development. (hide spoiler)]
The romance was fine, actually kind of cute at times. The cover did make me hopeful that it would be a f/f romance, but reading reviews beforehand helped me understand that wasn't the case. The book is still wonderfully diverse, though, so I didn't mind too much.
It's rare to have a story so dedicated to a female friendship. I think that's what makes me like this book even more than the first one. I also think Millie and Callie both work a little better as protagonists of the story, and it helps that you switch between their perspectives. It means you get two very different voices, which makes the story more interesting.
These books keep me hooked, even if there are things that I could do without. For the most part, I really enjoyed Nightfall, and I can't wait to read These books keep me hooked, even if there are things that I could do without. For the most part, I really enjoyed Nightfall, and I can't wait to read the next one.
What I enjoyed about this book a lot was the way the relationship between elves and humans was brought up and explored. In the book sbefore this one, it was always very black and white. The elves are amazing, the humans are bad. But I enjoyed that this book goes into that, and shows that things aren't that simple.
I also enjoyed that some of the romance was finally dealt with. (view spoiler)[ I didn't expect Dex and Sophie to get together, so to have that ship officially 'killed' was kind of nice, at least there won't be any more hints that won't go anywhere. I did think it was a shame it meant Dex wasn't in this book a lot, because I really like him. (hide spoiler)]
I'm glad the other characters seem to get explored a little more. I like Sophie, and I like Keefe, but they sometimes seem to take over the story a little. I enjoyed seeing more of Tam, Linh, and Biana in this one. I also really liked Ro, a new character that was introduced. Much like with the humans, the ogres are also shown in a less black and white way, which I appreciate.
I still have complaints, but for the most part this is a really enjoyable series. I hope it becomes a bit more inclusive (I'm still wondering if there are LGBT elves, and how that would be dealt with with the matchmaking stuff) and maybe a little less ship teasing. But all in all, a very fun series for anyone who wants to read middle grade series that has some interesting twists and turns. ...more
This was an absolutely beautiful story, and I couldn't stop reading it. I became so invested in the characters and felt myself grow so frustrated on tThis was an absolutely beautiful story, and I couldn't stop reading it. I became so invested in the characters and felt myself grow so frustrated on their behalf at times, which I think means this book did a good job. The characterization was very well done, and I really believe every single character had believable motives even if they did bad things.
This story isn't told in a linear sense, but even though the timeline skips around it never gets confusing. As you read, it's like the author slowly unveils more and more information about both the past and the present in a way that feels very natural. Every part of the story has multiple layers, and each character has their own conflicts and reasons for reacting the way they do.
I was very frustrated with both parents in the story, but I could always understand why they did the things they did. Their experiences with racism and sexism and the limits of growing up in the society they did colored their expectations and hopes for their children, which in turn influenced them in different ways. (view spoiler)[ I could completely understand why they both fixated on Lydia, as unfair as it was to both her and her siblings. Nath reminded James too much of himself, but Lydia with her mother's blue eyes gave him hope for a different life than he himself had had. Marilyn fixated on her first-born daughter because of the way her own hopes and dreams had been discouraged by her mother, who had a different idea of what women should be like. Both were trying to live vicariously through Lydia in a way that was crushing to her, while ignoring Nath and later Hannah.
Lydia is dead at the start of the book, but you get to know her pretty well during the flashback parts of the story. I grew to really love her, and seeing more and more of the effect her parents had on her life made me incredibly sad. I think a great example of this is the necklace her father gave her. She was so happy with it being a simple necklace, before she realized that this too represented the hopes he had for her social life. (hide spoiler)]
I think this book did a wonderful job of looking at family relationships and the way people influence each other. It's a very sad book, but I'm happy to have read it. I enjoyed it even more than Little Fires Everywhere by the same author, and I have a feeling this story will stick with me a lot more. If you're going into this expecting some sort of mystery/thriller type book where the focus is on finding out what exactly happened to Lydia at the moment of her death, this will probably be a little disappointing. It is about what happened to Lydia, but in a much broader sense than simply the moment of her death. I really recommend this book to anyone who is interested in family dynamics within a story. ...more
I greatly preferred the first book to this one. While Glamour in Glass had the same main characters, the setting and tone of the book were completely I greatly preferred the first book to this one. While Glamour in Glass had the same main characters, the setting and tone of the book were completely different. It just didn't really excite me at all, and near the end I had to force myself to keep reading. The conflict of the war wasn't very appealing to me, and I was a little annoyed with both Jane and Vincent for their lack of communication with each other.
Another thing that bothered me is that one of the things that is mentioned in the summary of the book doesn't happen until around 75% in. That means I spent the first 75% of the book knowing it would happen and sort of waiting for it. It really didn't work for me with the pacing, and the book in general felt really slow to me.
I did like Jane's character development in this book and the more in-depth view of society at the time. I also enjoyed how the magic system was explored more (though I do think a little too much time was spent focusing on the details of it)
I'm on the fence about continuing this series. It's really nice to read a book set in this time that isn't just a historical piece but has some magic too, but this just felt too dry for me to really enjoy it....more
I'm not sure if I should be comparing this book to Jane Austen (even though the blurb does that a lot already) because it felt like a pretty differentI'm not sure if I should be comparing this book to Jane Austen (even though the blurb does that a lot already) because it felt like a pretty different story to me. Granted, I've only read Pride and Prejudice and am in no way an expert on Austen's work, but I liked Shades of Milk and Honey on its own merit. I think I would have liked it less if I was hoping/expecting it to be exactly like a Jane Austen story but with magic.
This book adds a unique type of magic to a Regency era romance. I really enjoyed the atmosphere the author created and the way in which the magic was used. It was really very interesting and different and I never tired of the descriptions of the way glamour was used. Jane was a great main character, and I really enjoyed her perspective on the world as well as her interactions with others. At first, when she mentions being 'plain', I was worried this was one of those books where the main character doesn't think she's beautiful when she really is. But within the story Jane's looks are commented on and compared unfavorably to her more beautiful sister, and I really liked that. In a society that puts so much emphasis on beauty in women it makes sense that this is a source of conflict for her, but I was also glad it didn't take over the whole story.
The ending of the romance was a little predictable, but I didn't mind. The same thing goes for a certain plot twist. I saw it coming from a mile away, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of it....more
After five books, I'm at the point where these start to feel a bit more formulaic to me. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'm starting to see pAfter five books, I'm at the point where these start to feel a bit more formulaic to me. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'm starting to see patterns in the books. That doesn't mean it didn't still hold any surprises. (view spoiler)[ The end, for example, I didn't see coming at all, though I had been hoping for more focus on Sophie's human family so it made me very happy. (hide spoiler)]
But I still really enjoyed this book, as it has all of the things that keeps this series fun and interesting. I'm invested in the characters and in the world, so it compels me to keep reading. Even the new characters that were only introduced in the previous book have managed to nudge their way into my heart. I think Shannon Messenger does a really god job writing interesting and varied characters. One scene that stood out to me was (view spoiler)[ when they found out they were potentially being recorded and had to act natural while Dex was trying to figure it out. Every character really got to shine in that scene, and it was both funny and tense. (hide spoiler)]
What I also liked was seeing Sophie grow more into her own. She seemed to have more agency in this book and I enjoyed that she made decisions regarding the plot. Before, it often felt like she was simply thrust into situations without her own infuence. There was still some of that, but she did seem to consciously choose to do things more often.
But even though I liked this book, there were a few things that did bother me. The way romance is handled is a big one. I don't mind that Sophie has a few potential love interests, but I don't enjoy how the author is leaning on the fourth wall by hinting at fandom shipping within the book. The inclusion of shipping names within the story is just strange and takes me out of the story. I also don't really enjoy how Sophie herself refuses to acknowledge any sort of hint at romance, often ignoring it when characters bring it up. (view spoiler)[ Keefe tends to comment on it, even talking about a love 'square' to her at some point. But Sophie just doesn't really react to it, only ever contemplating her crush on Fitz. It just feels odd. (hide spoiler)]
Also (view spoiler)[ Sandor did not need a love interest. Especially not one as irritating as this one. The insistence to put everyone in neat little heterosexual relationship boxes is really starting to irritate me. At this point I'm not really expecting anything about LGBT relationships though it saddens me. It seems strange it's not even mentioned at all so far, especially with the idea of matchmaking they introduced with the elves. (hide spoiler)]...more
I liked Seafire, but I didn't love it. That makes me sad because I was very excited to read a book about an all-female pirate crew. But something abouI liked Seafire, but I didn't love it. That makes me sad because I was very excited to read a book about an all-female pirate crew. But something about the story just fell flat to me. There was a lot of action, but somehow I never really got the sense of adventure I was expecting and hoping for. I didn't feel a connection to the characters either. A lot of them seemed very interesting, but I never really felt like I got the time to get to know the crew members too much, and didn't feel the emotional impact when they were in danger.
Caledonia was too stubborn sometimes. I liked her for the most part, but there came a point where her stubborn refusal to believe what was right in front of her eyes just annoyed me. Even though her backstory explains a lot of her suspicion, it still got to the point where it just didn't feel reasonable anymore. And the romance really didn't need to be in there.
(Also, 53 female pirates and not one confirmed girl/girl relationship? I could see a few hints, but nothing explicit. Boo!)
So while this book entertained me, I had a lot of problems with it that kept distracting me and taking me out of the story. I'm unsure if I'll continue the series when the next book comes out. I didn't like the way this book ended, as it felt too abrupt to me. I'm not sure if I'll still be invested in what happens next when the sequel is released....more
I don't read graphic novels very often, but the premise of In Real Life really interested me. Somehow, I always enjoy stories about online gaming commI don't read graphic novels very often, but the premise of In Real Life really interested me. Somehow, I always enjoy stories about online gaming communities despite not really ever having been part of one. It's always nice to see how an author interprets this premise, and I liked that unlike the other books about this I have read, this book wasn't set in the future.
I thought the story was sweet and had a nice buildup, though it also seemed a little too simple sometimes. (view spoiler)[ There was a point where the main character gets called out for trying to solve a problem she couldn't solve because she didn't completely understand the context, but in the end she seems to be proven right anyway. It seems to undercut the message a little. (hide spoiler)] I also really liked the art style! The use of color was really great, and I liked how the style was a little different for the real world and the virtual game world....more
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I have to admit I don't know a lot about Robin Hood, as I'm fairly sure I've only seen the Disney versionI wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I have to admit I don't know a lot about Robin Hood, as I'm fairly sure I've only seen the Disney version back when I was a kid, but I had a general idea of what the story is about. I think I expected it to be more action-packed than it ended up being.
There were a few things in this book that didn't quite work for me, and I think most of it has to do with the fact that to me, the writing feels young and some of the themes in the book don't really reflect that. It felt strange. A lot of the story hinges on having a certain suspension of disbelief and a very simplified view of the world, but then it also talks about dark themes like rape and the pregnancy resulting from that, and the entire thing between John and Sylvie. It just felt too different from the general feel of the story to me.
I think a part of that is that the characters don't seem to face much hardship while living out in the wilderness. (view spoiler)[ Sylvie was very worried for winter, but when it actually came around anything bad about it was pretty much glossed over and we hardly see them struggle with the cold. (hide spoiler)] It just felt too easy to me, and every conflict was quickly solved.
One last thing is that the romance didn't make much sense to me. There was nothing standing in the way of it except bad communication. If the two had talked openly for a single moment everything would have been solved, and with how close they were there wasn't really any reason why they wouldn't'. The obstacles in their way never felt real to me.
But despite my complaints, I did enjoy the story and the way it was written. It was easy to read, and I liked the framing of the chapters in seasons. (view spoiler)[The scene where they give the village supplies by sending boats full of them down the river was really nice, I loved the visual of that. (hide spoiler)] I just think it lacked depth and tried to make up for that with mature themes that didn't fit the feel of the rest of the story....more
The past two Lily Singer books have been a lot of fun, and this one was no different. At this point I'm pretty invested in Lily and Sebastian, so I waThe past two Lily Singer books have been a lot of fun, and this one was no different. At this point I'm pretty invested in Lily and Sebastian, so I was excited to see the two of them interact more during this book. I do kind of want to yell at them to start talking to each other more, as the constant miscommunications are getting a little old. That said, I don't mind it too much because it is never the main conflict of the story. It usually gets solved easily, which I'm grateful for.
The plot of this book was solid, and it certainly kept my attention. I still enjoy the format very much, and I like that we get to see what Sebastian is up to in between the two parts of the story. I'm very curious to see what the last book will be like, and how it will wrap up the series....more
These books continue to be amazing, though I did think Neverseen was a small step back compared to the two previous ones. But in a way, that's logicalThese books continue to be amazing, though I did think Neverseen was a small step back compared to the two previous ones. But in a way, that's logical.
It felt a bit like a new beginning. The characters went to a new place and had to get settled there and get used to a new way of life. I think that slowed the pace of the book down compared to the second and third, but it did help show the reader more of this world. I continue to really love the characters and their relationships with each other, and I adore the new characters introduced in this book too. (view spoiler)[ The conflict of the plague wasn't too thrilling to me, but I did like how it was resolved in the end. (hide spoiler)]
One thing I'm not thrilled about with this series is the shipping. This has, mostly, only been something that the fandom brought to the series. Every time I look up stuff about the book, I find people arguing over who Sophie ends up with. I don't think that's really the point of these books, and only focusing on that small aspect of the story cheapens the rest of it a little. Of course you can have a preference and hope for it, but I don't like how it's the only aspect everyone talks about when these books have so much more going for them. (view spoiler)[And in this book, it felt like the author was leaning into it a little too much by having 'ship names '(the name of two characters mushed together) in the story as a sort of joke. I didn't really enjoy that. (hide spoiler)]
The ending of this book was once again, phenomenal. More twists and turns that nobody could have expected, and I can't wait to see how it all unpacks in the future installments in this series....more
Edit 5-9-18: After a few days of thinking about it, lowered the rating to 3 stars after all. --- I went back and forth on my rating for this, but in theEdit 5-9-18: After a few days of thinking about it, lowered the rating to 3 stars after all. --- I went back and forth on my rating for this, but in the end I'm deciding on four stars simply because there were a lot of worldbuilding elements I really enjoyed in this book, even though I felt like the plot wasn't nearly as strong as the first one.
I really loved Mortal Engines when I read it, and maybe loving the first book so much had set my expectations for the second one a bit too high. While I really enjoyed seeing more of the world Philip Reeve's created with these novels, the actual story relied too much on characters making bad choices for me to enjoy it. The choices they were making were so bad sometimes that I found it hard to sympathise with the characters afterwards. I also feel like Tom and Hester may have regressed a little bit in their character development compared to the first book. They didn't grow as much as I would have expected. (view spoiler)[ And I didn't like how Hester's motivations are always centered around Tom. It gets old really fast to me that everything she does is about him. Just as the many descriptions of how ugly she is get old. (hide spoiler)]
But while I had some issues with the characters and the plot, I have to say the setting and suspence were really great. I really love this universe the author has created, and for that alone I would want to read the next books. I'm not sure if I enjoyed the little plot twist thrown at us in the end, and (view spoiler)[ I kind of dislike that Tom didn't hear about Hester selling out the city in this book. It should come up at some point because it is too big a deal not to, but I feel like if it comes up later it will just feel like old news to the reader. I kept waiting for it to happen, but circumstances kept happening to stop Tom from hearing about it. Was there any reason Pennyroyal didn't just tell him? Not really. (hide spoiler)]
This book went in a completely different direction than the first one, so I do look forward to seeing how the world gets expanded more. Even if I hope the characters mature a bit in the next book....more
As the ending to the Dark Tower series, I think it leaves a lot to be desired. It seems to me like a lot of ploI'm a little disappointed in this book.
As the ending to the Dark Tower series, I think it leaves a lot to be desired. It seems to me like a lot of plot points from previous books were discarded in favor of other plots (that were often less interesting), and in some places it didn't even feel like the same series to me.
There were definitely parts of the book I really enjoyed, but I'm not happy with everything that happened. (view spoiler)[ I understand that Stephen King was probably imagining Roland going to the tower alone at the end, but the way he got rid of Eddie, Jake and Susannah(and Oy) felt a little too forced. Eddie's death was too sudden and unsatisfactory, and while I thought Jake's was done fairly well, Susannah's exit was really strange and honestly a bit stupid to me. She just left because she knew she had to? They just happen to find an artist who can draw doors into existence? I didn't like it.
And what was the point of Mordred? I was unimpressed with him as a villain, especially when he seemed to replace Walter. He was just kind of sad and pathetic, and only really succeeded in killing Oy, right before being murdered. The Crimson King also wasn't very impressive to me. The idea that he was literally stuck on a balcony on the tower was just weird, as was the way this random new character was the key to killing him. The final battle just wasn't very exciting, and felt very anticlimactic. (hide spoiler)]
I have a lot to complain about, but I do like the actual ending of the book and what it implies quite a bit. That, and other earlier scenes that I enjoyed, have kept this rating to a three star. But it's really closer to a 2.5. I feel like a lot of the book could have been left out, or could have been written better done without it seeming to erase part of the series' history. ...more
These middle grade books are some of the most intense books I'm reading lately. Somehow, they really captivate me in an unique way. I loved the first These middle grade books are some of the most intense books I'm reading lately. Somehow, they really captivate me in an unique way. I loved the first and second book, but I think this third one was even better.
Everblaze has so many twists and turns, but they all make sense! I think that's the most difficult part about creating a plot twist, making it believable. Shannon Messenger managed to make them suprising without being completely out of the blue. It's really impressive, and it kept me hooked! (view spoiler)[ I'm so glad we finally got to see the darker side of the elf society. I was picking up on hints as early as the first book, but in this one they really went there. What I really liked is that some of the adults who disliked Sophie still treated her better than the ones who seemed to like her. It shows that Shannon Messenger is adding layers to every character, not just the main ones. I also really liked Dex' story line in this one. (hide spoiler)]
This series is just really engaging. The books are quite long, but I barely notice as I'm flying through them. The fictional world in these books is just the right balance between simple and complex, especially in this installment. I really can't wait to see the next one. This series is really making me want to read middle grade books more often....more