Here's the thing- I thought this was a really fun story and a good addition to the series and I definitely didn't dislike it overall. But for some reaHere's the thing- I thought this was a really fun story and a good addition to the series and I definitely didn't dislike it overall. But for some reason, I couldn't really bring myself to care about this story and it just fell flat for me ...more
I went into Carve the Mark kinda sceptical after reading some bad reviews- but it actually surprised me! It wasn’t incredible or anything, as you can I went into Carve the Mark kinda sceptical after reading some bad reviews- but it actually surprised me! It wasn’t incredible or anything, as you can probably tell by my rating, but it was an entertaining enough read that was a fun way to pass the time ...more
Hmmm. This is definitely an interesting one to review, as I finished it with very mixed thoughts. I went in thinking it was gonna be a murder mystery Hmmm. This is definitely an interesting one to review, as I finished it with very mixed thoughts. I went in thinking it was gonna be a murder mystery in an exotic setting and it most definitely was NOT. Reading it was definitely a 50-50 experience- there were things I liked, things I really didn’t. So yeah, definitely a mixed bag.
Summerland is basically set on the island of Nantucket, which is definitely very summery and beachy (which definitely gave cool summer vibes, I must admit). But then the peace of the island is shattered when Penelope Alastair crashes her car, an accident that leaves her dead and her twin brother Hobson in a coma. After that, Summerland is basically about what happens to the community after the car and the various people the accident affects.
As I said earlier, I definitely had a very mixed experience with this book. Since I’m still kinda struggling to organise my thoughts, I’m gonna put my likes and dislikes in a list to make it seem a little less chaotic.
Starting with what I liked:
✅ The writing style: I actually really like Elin Hilderbrand’s writing style! It was super smooth and polished and made me want to keep reading even when I was getting kinda bored. It definitely read like a book from an experienced author, which it is. I did have some problems with the way the story was told, but I did enjoy the writing overall! ...more
I went into Amari and the Great Game expecting great things, but it ultimately fell a bit flat for me. I really enjoyed the first book, Amari and the I went into Amari and the Great Game expecting great things, but it ultimately fell a bit flat for me. I really enjoyed the first book, Amari and the Night Brothers, and expected the sequel to be just as good. And although it was a decent enough read, it really wasn’t as good as I was expecting.
Amari and the Great Game is the sequel to Amari and the Night Brothers and basically continues Amari’s journey after the ending of Book 1. As an old villain comes back to haunt them, chaos ensues, resulting in Amari having to enter a terrifying competition known as the Great Game. If she wins, she has the chance to secure peace for the supernatural world. But if she loses, there will be dire consequences…
Although I didn’t end up enjoying this as much as I hoped, there were definitely some good things. I did really like B.B. Alston’s writing- it’s smooth and easy enough to read- and the characters were also pretty sweet, if a little underdeveloped. The mystery element of the plot was also nice, with a twist later on in the book that I didn’t expect. As in the first book, the worldbuilding was also great and the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs was a super cool setting.
That being said, as a whole, the book just didn’t really capture my attention. The Great Game that the title speaks of was nowhere near as exciting as it could’ve been and the villains were cartoonishly evil, which just seriously annoyed me. One of the big reasons that I liked the first book was that it was very unique and stood out from the crowd of middle grade books. But this one had a lot of things that pop up a lot in middle grade books, and while that isn’t necessarily bad, it just made the book less original and a lot less exciting for me.
But my disappointment with Amari and the Great Game can’t entirely be blamed on the book itself. I definitely went in with very high expectations, which were a bit TOO high, in retrospect. I also just think I read it at the wrong time- at the moment, I have to be in a very specific mood to enjoy middle grade. And I just wasn’t when I read this. I had just finished Empire of Storms, was suffering a MAJOR book hangover and just was in more of a YA mood. So maybe if I’d read this book at a better time, I would’ve enjoyed it more.
Overall, it was pretty good, but nothing about it particularly wowed me. It never quite hooked me and it was just a bit disappointing compared to its predecessor. However, I still think that it is worth reading if you enjoyed Amari and the Night Brothers, and I’m still keen to pick up the third book. Okay overall!
~ 3.25 stars
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It was pretty enjoyable, but not quite as good as I was expecting ...more
Grace (irisroman & evajacks' version) ✧
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Books:
mixed-feelings
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