chaptersofmads's reviews
840 reviews

“The only way you can let me down is if you started hiding who you are. You may think I bring out the best in you, but I'm only helping you see the man who is already there. The man I love.”

I really did intend on giving this a higher rating, but after what had to be the fiftieth time of me being incredibly grossed out... I realized any higher would be insincere.

I went into this with pretty high expectations because I really enjoyed The Kiss Countdown when I read it last month. It was fluffy and fun, with likeable characters and just enough weight to the story to keep me interested. In my review, I even mentioned the fact I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't get the ick from the story.

The Kiss Countdown didn't have the mmc

say, "10/10 would eat dehydrated pudding from your mouth again."

though, which is an obvious difference. (This line shows up in a love letter/journal entry meant for the fmc to read, it's in reference to him discovering new foods he likes, and even if it was joking, I don't want to read it <3)

My personal disgust aside, I also really disliked the romance in this book. From the very beginning, it sounds as if Brianna is much more interested in Roman than he is in her. Some of this is because he keeps his cards close to his chest, but it's also because a lot of their previous relationship was made up of silent interactions Brianna read into. I would say it takes 60% of the story for Roman to show any real interest in her, though she thinks they're already in a forbidden tryst.

The plot itself was okay, though it often felt like it was trying to heighten the very low stakes - which just made the stakes seem even lower. The dialogue was incredibly cringe-inducing, with the fmc seriously saying, "I may be delulu, but I'm delulu and happy." and "sure hope this doesn't awaken anything in me." at different points.

I will say, more than any other genre, I really do think romance comes down more to personal preference than anything else. The things that made this book really difficult for me to read, might work really well for someone else. I'm only listing my issues so that if you have the same ones, you can decide whether or not you want to give this one a try.

Overall, I appreciate what this book was trying to be, but it just let me down. While I wouldn't recommend this, I would definitely recommend you try out The Kiss Countdown if you're looking for a sweet romance book that delivers. 

“I have learned there is one thing a person never tires of, no matter how long they live. And that is being in love. All else is ash and ember.”

I'm pretending this trilogy isn't completed until further notice 😌

This was lovely. Just as cinematic as its predecessors, with the added bonus of throwing the reader headfirst into the world of fae. Being back with the characters genuinely felt like being among friends again. Emily and Wendell's individual character arcs (as well as their relationship) are top tier and genuinely raise the bar for all other series. (This is quite a bit of character development from all parties, as my review of book 1 specifies that I didn't like their relationship lol.)

I will say... this might just be a me thing, but I felt like the pacing was pretty off in this book? Like too many things were happening at once for any of them to get the proper focus, which just meant that everything felt very stationary, somehow. There were a few times I had to force myself to focus because my mind kept wandering from the story.

But overall, this was a satisfying, beautiful conclusion to the trilogy. Some of the lines in here were so beautiful I know they'll stay with me for quite awhile. If you haven't read this series yet and enjoy slow-paced, academic fantasies, I would recommend it - even though I think book 1 is incredibly flawed. It truly only gets better from there.

“It was strangely comforting— and strangely beautiful, to be known without having to speak a word.”

This was a delight!!

I'm admittedly pretty picky when it comes to Disney novelizations (and very critical about continuations/add-ons), so when this got announced, I was pretty concerned it was going to be a disaster. I've never been happier to be proven wrong.

This book made me feel like I was a child again.

Tinkerbell was always my younger sister's thing, so while I never considered it one of my interests, I can also say I've watched each of the movies more times than I can count. (The Lost Treasure is the best; fight me.) I can happily say I feel this did the movies justice, while aging the story up (just a bit) for a YA audience. While reading, I felt the author genuinely cared about the original story and it showed with how she wrote certain aspects - such as the minister of Autumn, I love him so much.

As for the plot itself, I loved getting a glimpse into Queen Clarion's backstory and seeing her before she was quite so stoic and ethereal. Her transformation throughout the book and her slowly coming to terms with her own feelings/beliefs was really lovely. She has flawed moments, but not in ways that are unbelievable for her future self to have made - if that makes any sense.

I also loved how light and innocent the romance was in here, while still being angsty. There are also sapphic fairies?? with 10+ years of pining?? they're so precious. I love them.

I think this review ended up a bit ramble-y, but hopefully I was able to convey how happy this made me. It felt like a warm hug and made me want to rewatch all of the Pixie Hollow movies, which is one of the best compliments you can give to a novelization/continuation of a Disney series. 

Brief review because I just realized I forgot to this weekend.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the ability that certain authors have to create such complex fantasy stories in the space of a novella will never cease to amaze me. This was no exception. Gripping from the first page and intriguing until the last. (Even though you might be able to guess where the plot is going, that doesn't stop the gut-punch once you actually reach it.)

This also had such a good message. I love when allegory is utilized the way it was in here and I've heard the series only goes deeper, so I can't wait to carry on. 

A nice palette cleanser after two heavy-ish reads. 

I liked this one more than the first in the companion trilogy! I still had some of the same issues, such as a lot of plot points not being as developed as I would've liked. 

But! There was definitely more depth to this one and even though it can feel like insta-love, the characters' pre-existing feelings buffer that a bit. 

Overall, not my favorite but still a good time. I'd recommend if you're looking for a Hallmark (with a bit of spice) type read.

Didn't realize this was a companion to Don't Cry for Me at first. The moment I realized felt like getting hit by a truck. 

This was devastating and beautiful and hopeful and profound. I'll read anything Daniel Black writes. 

“I am the only storm that matters now, and there is no shelter from what I bring.”

Oh, you guys weren't kidding. This was good.

I went into this book with very little information about the plot itself and I highly recommend doing that. The first chapter is one of the most gripping opening scenes of a book that I've ever read and though the rest of the book isn't quite as dramatic, it's never less interesting. (Except for a certain character's POV but that's beside the point.)

This was atmospheric, with rich world-building and a writing style that somehow managed to be both simplistic and chilling at once. I love fantasy books that discuss religion and prophecies and old gods, so this was right up my alley.

I also loved Serapio and Xiala. They were easily some of my favorite characters I've read about recently.

I can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes. Highly recommend.

This was fun!

If you've been missing the YA retelling days, this is such a good one to pick up. It's got that super nostalgic, retelling feel while also bringing something new to the table by focusing on the "fairy godmothers".

On the critical side, I do feel like the book lost the plot a bit as the story continued, with certain points seemingly added just to keep up the retelling part of the story. The characters and their relationships all felt very one-dimensional, with the evil characters feeling (pardon the pun) cartoonishly wicked.

There is also SUCH bad insta-love in here, holy crap.

 

Even with my critiques, I found this to be an entertaining read and while I might not recommend it to everyone, I do think it's an enjoyable addition to the YA fantasy retelling genre. 

“If they were afraid, then I didn’t have to be.”

Fun fact: the 'it' in the title actually refers to me. I'm the "It" that Waits in the Forest, waiting for this book to actually be about a forest.

That aside, I don't have much to say about this book - good or bad.

It was an eerie thriller, almost reminiscent of Spells of Forgetting by Adrienne Young with a complex main character and an atmospheric setting. I appreciated the discussions of superstition as a weapon, as well as Selina's own personal difficulty to believe in herself.

However! Along with not being very suspenseful (imo), this book also felt pretty redundant, with more of the story focusing on the love triangle than I typically care for. I understand this book is aimed a bit younger, so I'm not belittling it for the romance - but it did lessen my enjoyment, due to how it unfolded.

And there was very little forest. I wanted more forest.

Overall, this was fine. I don't regret reading it, but it won't be one I revisit.