I did this to myself. messy and immature. inadequate world building and lazy outdated feminism.

I am selfish like death and wanted more more more but I suppose that’s the point, isn’t it? What you’re given is what you’re given.

Anyway my heart aches. I loved this book.

kind of the perfect book for me? East/West Berlin shit? Teaming up to solve a mystery? Very very very mild romantic tension? Monsters? Hell yeah

You have to be a certain kind of reader to enjoy a book like this. It's a book that requires a suspension of disbelief beyond your typical fantasy, sci-fi, or speculative fiction novel. It's not that it doesn't make SENSE per se, but it requires the reader to be less demanding. Like, you're not going to get a ton of exposition. Reading this book is like lucid dreaming, or rather the feeling of being in a dream moment right before you realize you're in a dream. You have all this context, and you're in this world, but there's this inkling, this feeling, that something isn't right. Something doesn't make sense. And then BOOM, you realize, "Oh, this is a dream!" That's what this book is, and it is beautiful.

Also I wouldn't call this a romantasy. It's definitely more than that, but to each their own!

I’m giving this four stars because this is the book equivalent of like, A Cinderella Story-esque movie. Like it’s not a GREAT movie but it’s a mid movie done really well. So what if there are plot holes (I actually don’t think there are but whatever) and so what if the characters are a bit flat it’s decently written and actually has a compelling plot/world building thing happening. At least it didn’t read like fanfic made into a book.

Very different from the other books I read in this genre insomuch that it feels darker, more realistic and so much more heart wrenching. I wish there was more from Gemma’s and Colin Ramsey’s perspectives— Gemma’s chapters are my favorites. Nevertheless, I’m enjoying the series immensely and look forward to the third.

The audiobook was excellent. I’m not sure how I feel about it reading it, but based on the quality of the audiobook alone I’ll give it four stars. I was astonished by how much character the narrator was able to provide the protagonists through inflection alone.

This was my first honest-to-god mystery I’ve read in a while. While it was certainly dark, I found it quite enjoyable. I wish i saw more of Ramsey and Tate. Hopefully we’ll get that in the next book.

Eh. It was good and then it got super cheesy and the thing about CS Lewis is that he was never cheesy.

The same quality of the first Happy Death Day, if that makes sense.

(Which I saw by myself. In theaters.)

sometimes i think i read a book too fast because and that's why it felt all over the place. this was funny though. a little cringe at times.