3.5 stars rounded down
This would make SUCH a cool movie! There was really good spooky vibes/ ambiance, and I would recommend it to fans of The Weight of Blood. I believe this is YA, but the characters felt more like they were in their early 20s rather than the 17 year olds they're supposed to be (which not a negative for me personally but of note if you're looking for a true YA read).
The plot is very interesting and I enjoyed the mystery and reveals. However, as a character girlie, I unfortunately couldn't connect with any of the characters and the romance also felt forced/ unsubstantiated. I was so disappointed when Jude decided to drop out of college to live with Emer. I wouldn't mind if she just hadn't applied or wanted to go to school at all before, or if she transferred to a school closer to her but it just made me wince when a 17 year old makes the decision "love" is more important than education.
I appreciate that trans girls were mentioned/ included in the magic rules since they are gender based.
The ending was my favorite part- it was so action packed and entertaining. I could see this turning into a series based on the end (although I don't have a desire to read more since I'm not connected to the characters). I was also pleasantly surprised at the medical accuracy! This was the first book I've read with CPR that mentions the need of defibrillation and rigor mortis timing (not lasting forever), The only thing that was iffy was someone's pulse still going for a little bit after stopping compressions (prior to defibrillation). If they had a pulse, even a weak one, we wouldn't keep doing CPR but it was so much more accurate than the typical horror and fantasy I read, so I'm not mad at all.
P.s. the Evernight edition of this book is absolutely stunning
This would make SUCH a cool movie! There was really good spooky vibes/ ambiance, and I would recommend it to fans of The Weight of Blood. I believe this is YA, but the characters felt more like they were in their early 20s rather than the 17 year olds they're supposed to be (which not a negative for me personally but of note if you're looking for a true YA read).
The plot is very interesting and I enjoyed the mystery and reveals. However, as a character girlie, I unfortunately couldn't connect with any of the characters and the romance also felt forced/ unsubstantiated. I was so disappointed when Jude decided to drop out of college to live with Emer. I wouldn't mind if she just hadn't applied or wanted to go to school at all before, or if she transferred to a school closer to her but it just made me wince when a 17 year old makes the decision "love" is more important than education.
I appreciate that trans girls were mentioned/ included in the magic rules since they are gender based.
The ending was my favorite part- it was so action packed and entertaining. I could see this turning into a series based on the end (although I don't have a desire to read more since I'm not connected to the characters). I was also pleasantly surprised at the medical accuracy! This was the first book I've read with CPR that mentions the need of defibrillation and rigor mortis timing (not lasting forever), The only thing that was iffy was someone's pulse still going for a little bit after stopping compressions (prior to defibrillation). If they had a pulse, even a weak one, we wouldn't keep doing CPR but it was so much more accurate than the typical horror and fantasy I read, so I'm not mad at all.
P.s. the Evernight edition of this book is absolutely stunning