Re-Read: August 2024 I originally read this last year as a novella and completely adored it. I was so happy when I found out it was going to be expandeRe-Read: August 2024 I originally read this last year as a novella and completely adored it. I was so happy when I found out it was going to be expanded into a full novel. Lucy and Matthew's relationship was so silly and sweet and definitely deserved more time than a novella.
This book is truly the author being horny on main. Don't get me wrong, this is still an extremely 'clean' romance with absolutely no smut and little more than innuendos and some kissing, but this is the only book by this author where sex is even alluded to, let alone alluded to multiple times. Plus the kissing scenes were longer than in the author's other books. This didn't increase or decrease my enjoyment of the book, but I thought it was funny and had to mention it. The top review on goodreads has even mentioned this (though in a much more negative sense) so clearly I'm not the only one that noticed.
This book is perfect for its genre. It's so silly and cute, the stakes are low, the characters are all likable, and it ends with a happily-ever-after. I really liked Lucy, the protagonist, potentially because she reminded me of the protagonist in another romance book that I love, Patience. They're both very independent and bend the rules of society to a degree, though Lucy is less oblivious and more conniving than Patience. I can see traditionally published romance readers finding this juvenile, but I find this to be the perfect light read that'll make me smile the whole way through. Fans of smutty, realistic, or hard-hitting romances won't enjoy this, but if you're looking for a cotton candy type of book, I'd recommend it.
Original Review This was SO CUTE AND ADORABLE! I didn't realize when I started that this was novella length so I ended up reading it in one sitting. I think that's definitely the best way to read this since the story and relationship feels much more rushed than those in Esther Hatch's other books. However, that didn't bother me at all because of how cute the story was. Lucy annoyed me a bit at the beginning of the story. I think that's because, since this is a novella, we don't learn much about her for a while and miss a lot of her backstory.
Even though this isn't my favorite book from the author I'm giving it 5 stars because I had such a great time and this was exactly the type of book I wanted to read at the time. The author has announced that she's going to re-write this as a full-length book (!!!) and publish it soon. I think a lot of the issues with this book could be solved by things being longer and the story moving slower. I'm so excited to read it and spend more time with these characters....more
Re-read|: February 2024 I am obsessed. I love this series so much! It's so cute and sweet and fluffy and everything that I needed to decompress from trRe-read|: February 2024 I am obsessed. I love this series so much! It's so cute and sweet and fluffy and everything that I needed to decompress from travel stress. I'm definitely biased since this series was one of the first ones I read when getting into romance, but I thought this book was adorable. The main characters have so much chemistry and I was rooting so hard for them. Given the circumstances, I thought they communicated really well with each other (I mean, Grace was pretty open about when she was trying to deceive Nate haha). Really looking forward to starting the sequel.
Original Review| I loved this just as much as the other book in the series! It was so sweet and fluffy and I literally had a smile on my face as I read it. The main couple had such good chemistry together and I loved reading their scenes together. I also loved how much they communicated! Even though their relationship kind of started via deception which makes you think there would be a lot of miscommunication, they actually cleared up their issues pretty quickly!
Also, since I read the second book in the series before this one, it was fun to see the characters from the second book introduced here! It made me want to re-read the next book (which I'll probably do tonight tbh...).
Like most of the historical romances I read, I wouldn't recommend this to everyone, but if you like the genre then I highly recommend this....more
Re-read: February 2024 I love this book so much! It's a really fun read (who doesn't love a self-loathing hero) but has even more emotional depth than Re-read: February 2024 I love this book so much! It's a really fun read (who doesn't love a self-loathing hero) but has even more emotional depth than the previous books in the series. Diana and Everton suited each other so well and they had amazing chemistry. They had a lot of scenes together (thanks to Mrs. Oliver haha) so you really got to see that they get along with each other and make a nice couple.
I'm really looking forward to the 4th book to be published! I can't get enough of Esther Hatch's writing.
Original Review You know when you pick up a book and it feels like it's laced with crack because you can't put it down? That was my experience with this book. I started reading this in the morning and didn't eat, shower, or dress until far too late in the afternoon because I was glued to my couch, reading this book.
This book was so good that I'm willing to forgive its butt-ugly cover. Sorry to whoever the cover model is, but I physically cringe whenever I see the cover of this book lol
I was surprised by how serious this book was compared to the other books in the series. It still has a really fun and light tone, but holy hell did all the characters need therapy. Honestly, it provides a really good argument for why both divorce and therapy need to be easily accessible in society because 90% of this story would have never happened if people just had the capacity to chill. Though I did love all the drama and angst so...yay for poor understandings of mental health in Victorian England I guess.
Anyways, I really loved this. I'm not sure how I'd rank the books in the series, but together the series is on my list of favorites!...more
Just as much fun as the last book! In fact, I think I may have enjoyed this even more. It had the same level of ridiculousness as the first book, but Just as much fun as the last book! In fact, I think I may have enjoyed this even more. It had the same level of ridiculousness as the first book, but I found the 'mystery'/plot to be slightly more engaging. I was kind of surprised by how much it related to the previous book. While you definitely don't need to know the plot of the first book to enjoy this, I thought it was going to be a completely separate story, but instead they were kind of chasing after the same villain. I also loved the ghost penny dreadful story even though it didn't have anything to do with the plot.
I have the next book on hold at the library and am excited read it as soon as it comes in....more
Re-read: February 2024 This book is so cute and I'm obsessed.
Re-Read: February 2022 I decided to binge this entire series so I re-read this even though Re-read: February 2024 This book is so cute and I'm obsessed.
Re-Read: February 2022 I decided to binge this entire series so I re-read this even though I originally read it almost exactly 2 months ago. I'm definitely not upset that I made that decision. This was just as enjoyable as the last time I read it ❤
Original Review This book was so cute! It’s exactly what I needed after the last 2 depressing books I read (and that other sucky romance book I skimmed). This book was completely unrealistic, but it’s essentially the fake-dating trope + the Victorian period, so I loved it. Based on the plot I was a bit worried that the main relationship was going to delve into the cheating territory, but fortunately nothing like that ever happened! The book always stayed pretty light and didn’t veer into any ‘difficult’ or deeper topics, which is what I wanted.
Since this book is kind of (for lack of a better work) basic, I feel kind of weird putting it on my favorites shelf, but I really did love it and can’t think of anything I’d change. Maybe shorten the ending a bit, but that’s it. Eh, if I don’t like it as much upon re-read I’ll just remove it then.
I don’t think I’d broadly recommend this since I think it’s probably a bit too silly for most readers. But, if you’re already a fan of the genre and know what you’re getting into, I think this book is a lot of fun! This is the second book in a trilogy and the originally I didn’t plan on reading the other books since they didn’t sound the most interesting. However, since I enjoyed this so much I’ll probably check them out....more
This was completely ridiculous and unbelievable, but also a ton of fun. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that wants a ~*good*~ book, but it was a simThis was completely ridiculous and unbelievable, but also a ton of fun. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that wants a ~*good*~ book, but it was a simple, fast-paced story that was perfect for my exhausted brain. Seriously though, this book is super unrealistic. I've been trying to write a coherent review and it's just turned into me staring at my computer screen blankly, so here are some random thoughts I had while reading:
- Why is everyone in this book so bad at hiding things? Elizabeth was supposed to keep her secret identity safe but then did basically nothing to hide it from Fletcher. - No offence to the Fletchers out there, but I really don't associate that name with romantic heroes. It seems like more of a villain name to me. Can't say it really detracted from the reading experience though. - At first I didn't like the insertion of the actual Penny Dreadful stories throughout the book, but I after a while I found them really fun! - Why tf is this book called The Lady and the Highwayman???? There are NO ladies and there is NO highwayman. It's only the name of a story Elizabeth was writing. I feel robbed. - I was listening to this as an audiobook and for the longest time I couldn't understand what Fletcher kept on calling Elizabeth. At first I thought he was just saying 'love' with a weird accent, but then I realized he was saying 'dove'. As in the BIRD. I don't know why but out of all the things in this book, I thought that was the most ridiculous. Maybe it's historically accurate, but I couldn't take him seriously once I realized his pet name was just a literal bird. - I really liked Ana so I'm excited the next book is about her! - It's supposedly a super big deal that the Dread Penny Society remains a secret, but seriously the members could stand to be a bit more covert - I loved the setting of this. Romanticized Victorian England is my fav. - The author did a really good job at making Elizabeth interesting and unique without making her seem not-like-other-girls
A surprising number of my comments were negative despite my 4-star rating. That's cause I honestly don't know if I'd call this a good book. I don't think I'd recommend this book to most people, but I had a great time reading this :) I'm really excited to read the rest of the series!...more
This was wonderful and fully deserves all the hype it gets. Marianne was such a well-written character and I would marry Philip in a heartbeat. I see This was wonderful and fully deserves all the hype it gets. Marianne was such a well-written character and I would marry Philip in a heartbeat. I see a lot of comparisons to Jane Austen in reviews, but I don't this this book is comparable. This is firmly a romance with some background family drama whereas I think the family/social commentary is more at the forefront in Austen's books.
I'm going to resist the temptation to re-read this right away, but this is definitely going on my re-read shelf....more
Re-Read: April 2024 I still love this book. Super creepy and atmospheric with well-rounded characters.
Re-Read: October 2021 I usually don't read the samRe-Read: April 2024 I still love this book. Super creepy and atmospheric with well-rounded characters.
Re-Read: October 2021 I usually don't read the same book twice in one year, but this book seemed perfect to read around Halloween. Maybe this is just because I've been tired and watching way too many true crime videos recently, but I found this way more spooky this time! Some of the descriptions were horrifying/disgusting. Still not scary, but this book has great gothic vibes. (view spoiler)[Also, Virgil is still sooooo creepy. He's just so slimy! Every time he was on page I just felt gross. (hide spoiler)]
I'm upping my rating to 5 stars since I really loved this and I feel like any book I read twice in a year deserves 5 stars.
Original Review I really enjoyed this! Although the final reveal/twist wasn’t my favorite (I kind of saw it coming), the writing and atmosphere more than made up for it. Also, all the characters felt real and fully developed and I really loved them. Even though I wanted to scream at Noemi to leave High House, I still loved her and thought she was a really smart and compelling character. (view spoiler)[ I also thought Francis and Noemi were a cute couple and I’m glad they got a happy ending. Not gonna lie, my rating was bumped up a bit because of the last chapter and because I'm such a sap. (hide spoiler)]
Even though this is marketed as horror, I was never scared. I'm not sure if this book isn't that scary or if I just don't scare easily. Either way, I think that even non-horror lovers would really enjoy this. There were definitely sections that I found creepy or found gross, but nothing too freaky. The scenes with (view spoiler)[Virgil (hide spoiler)] were probably the ones that I found the most disturbing. They were just really...slimey and creeped me out.
Even though this isn’t a new favorite, I actually think I’m going to re-read this sometime in the future. The more the book sits with me, the more I like it. I’m definitely going to check out what else the author has written!...more
Re-Read: June 2021 I'm just going to reiterate what I said in my original review. This volume was amazing and is definitely one of the best in the seriRe-Read: June 2021 I'm just going to reiterate what I said in my original review. This volume was amazing and is definitely one of the best in the series. Even though I remembered everything that happened, this volume was super fun and exciting. There were a lot of awesome action scenes but also a ton of character development. I'm really sad that the series is almost over because every volume is so good.
Original Review WHY DID THIS HAVE TO END ON A CLIFFHANGER!!! I don’t know how I’m going to survive until I get my hands on volume 20. This was such a good volume! At first, I thought that this was going to be more of a filler/character development volume, but it definitely wasn’t! A lot of this volume did focus on bonding, but there was certainly a lot of action as well.
The volumes opening episode centered around my bae, Karma, so I knew from the start that I was going to love this volume. It was a short episode, but it really showed how much he has grown since the beginning of the series. (And it introduced a serious antagonist!) The next few episodes were a ton of fun, and I was laughing through all of it. I loved seeing all the photos of the students! They were so funny and cute, and it really makes me want to re-read the entire series. And they showed some of the different friendships of Class E, and I live for their friendships (especially Nagia, Rio, and Karma's). As I have mentioned many times before, the bond between the student of Class E is so strong! It really makes me wish that I was a part of their class. I’m certainly not as close to all my classmates as the students in Class E! Then again, I also don’t go on assassination missions with my classmates, so it makes sense that we’re not as close...
The last half was so action-packed, and I just couldn’t put it down! I ignored all my homework and the notifications on my phone because I needed to know what would happen next. For the first time in the entire series, I was actually worried about Koro Sensei. I’m so impressed with the authors ability to continually come up with interesting plots, and his ability to build suspense. I was so tense while reading this, and I very rarely feel tense when reading graphic novels. The fight scenes were really well drawn, and the sequences were really interesting. Class E has grown so much as assassins, and I loved seeing them put their skills to the test. I was a bit surprised that Karma, not Isogai took a leadership role in battle on the mountain, but in hindsight it’s the obvious choice. Karma proved his leadership skills in volume 17, and the whole series has kind of been building to this point. (view spoiler)[The final showdown between the students and Hojo might be my favorite sequence in the entire scene. It was so well done! And the last move from Nagisa and Karma was pure gold. I’m so happy for their friendship and general awesomeness! (hide spoiler)]
I was really happy with the development of Karasuma’s character. (view spoiler)[I was really upset with him for a portion of this book, but he definitely redeemed himself! (hide spoiler)] He has created such strong bonds with the students in Class E, and it’s great that he’s finally admitting how much he loves them - and Irina ;). And while we’re talking about Irina, I’m so glad that Meg told her how important she was to all the students. It was a sweet moment, and Irina seemed so touched. She seems so much happier now than she did at the beginning of the series. I also liked that she played a big role in (view spoiler)[helping the students break out of prison, although her methods of giving them the materials they needed was a bit creepy. (hide spoiler)] I love seeing her show off her skills. After all, she is a fairly accomplished assassin!
Principal Asano really surprised me. He’s so much nicer than before! I like that the author remembered to draw his leaf-shaped tie clip since it’s such a strong symbol for his original teaching goals. Of course he’s still quite devious, with all the brainwashing that goes on, but I still love his character. Well, maybe I don’t love him, but I love whenever his character is on page.
I have to at least mention Nagisa. He has consistently shown why he’s practically the main character in this ensemble series. He’s such a wonderful character to read about. He’s super nice, but he’s also smart, driven, and a world-class assassin. I don’t know if Class E would have succeeded without him. He always seems to read between the lines, and his strong bonds with all of his teachers helped them a lot this volume. I’m glad he’s decided to be a teacher. I think he’ll be an amazing one. And I’m glad his relationship with his mother is improving! He deserves it.
This whole series seems to be a love letter to teachers. Even though I’m sure I’d hate it, this series paints teaching in such a positive light that I almost want to become one! I never really thought about how much my teachers have affected me, but I supposed they must have had a huge affect on me. I spend a huge portion of my day with them, and they’ve really shaped who I am as a person. Whether they’ve had a positive or negative effect on my is debatable, depending on the teacher, but I am thankful for what I’ve learned from them. None of them have been as amazing as Koro Sensei, but some have come pretty close.
This didn’t really fit anywhere in my review, but I just wanted to mention how much I’ve warmed up to Itona. I used to find his really boring, but I really like him now! I just wanted to show him some love since I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned him before. My review is kind of a mess, but that’s just because I loved it so much! I’m really bad at describing my thoughts and feelings if they’re very strong. By that I mean that I such at explaining why I love/hate something. I love this series so much that I can’t put it into words. Just thinking about it makes me smile :). Anyway, I loved this volume SO MUCH and I can’t wait till volume 20!...more
Re-read: March 2020 I've raised my rating to 5 stars. I don't know why I previously gave this 4 stars since I thought this book was amazing! I think maRe-read: March 2020 I've raised my rating to 5 stars. I don't know why I previously gave this 4 stars since I thought this book was amazing! I think maybe a healthy dose of nostalgia is what's boosting my rating since the average rating for this book isn't extremely high. (Not that it's extremely low either, but most people aren't giving this book 5 stars.)
I really love this series and I'm glad we got this final book. It wasn't exactly necessary since The Traitor in the Tunnel gave us a satisfying conclusion, but it was nice to tie the end of the series back to the first book. It was fitting. I really liked seeing Angelica and Mrs. Thorold again and tying up their story.
I also loved seeing all the characters again. Mary and James were wonderful and adorable together as I expected. They are so perfect for each other and I love their banter. I'm also so happy by how much James has developed over the series! He is so much less arrogant and, thankfully, less sexist. It's nice to see characters evolve and you can definitely see that in Mary and James. Mary makes James less arrogant and James makes Mary less impulsive. They really balance each other out and their scenes together are adorable.
I also liked seeing Anne and Mrs. Frame. Throughout the whole series their scenes were almost always together, so it was nice to see them separate from each other since their personalities could really shine. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention (view spoiler)[Mary's cousin! Their relationship was very well-developed and seemed very realistic. (hide spoiler)]
My only gripe with this book is the we didn't get to see Octavius Jones. Was he necessary to the plot in any way? Well, no, but I love him so much. He's an awful human being but he is so much fun to read about. Other than that, I had a really fun time with this! It's not my favorite in the series, but when the other books are so amazing it's hard to compare....more
Re-Read: August 2021 I still completely loved this! I think it's probably the best book in the series in terms of writing and characterization. There wRe-Read: August 2021 I still completely loved this! I think it's probably the best book in the series in terms of writing and characterization. There were still a few cliché lines, but for the most part it was well-written (for YA standards). It also completely brought me back to high school when I had such intense emotions about the books I read! That's something I miss since I don't think I feel the same way about the books I read now, even the ones that I really love.
I pretty much said all I needed to in my last review, so I guess I don't have much to add. I really loved the story and spending more time with Mary and James. The only new thought I had was that I could kind of see myself shipping Mary and Octavius Jones. Obviously I think that Mary and James are the better couple, but in an alternative universe and think Mary and 'Tavvy' would be really cure together! They have really good banter and in general I just enjoy Jones' character. (I'm still super bummed that he didn't show up in the next book, but I'll just imagine that his path crosses with Mary some other time.)
So, ya. I completely loved this and am sure I'll be re-reading this series far too soon.
Original Review It's be ~2 months since I read this book, so I'm having trouble writing a coherent review. I really love this book and I had all sorts of thoughts on it while I was reading it. It's so frustrating that I can't remember all of them now! At the best of times I suck at writing reviews, and if the books isn't fresh in my mind it's even worse. So, I'm just going to make a list of the things I do remember thinking about the book instead of trying to write them up nicely.
- I love how much Mary has grown since the first book! You can tell she's had more training since she's not nearly as reckless as she used to be and he general 'spy skills' have improved.
- James has also grown a ton! He's a lot less mysogenistic which I really appreciate because it makes me feel less bad about liking him so much. As awful it was that he was misogynistic in the first book, it made a lot of sense. Even though James has always been liberal by Victorian terms, I would have been taken out of the story if he was as liberal as modern-day male characters from the get-go. James lives in a very sexist society, so obviously he was a bit sexist. His growth is extremely believable because Mary challenged his beliefs.
- James and Mary have such good chemistry together!
- As scummy as Octavius Jones is, some of my favorite scenes involve him. He's really funny and charismatic.
- As with the rest of the books, the mystery is fine, but nothing special. I'm here for the characters and the atmosphere, so I don't mind that the mystery isn't as gripping as in other pure-mystery novels. In fact, the mystery is almost a side-plot in this book. Mary's personal struggles are (view spoiler)[the situation with Prince Bertie (hide spoiler)] are at the forefront of the story, not the robberies. Given that the main mystery is who stole some trinkets, I'm not surprised that the other plots took priority
- I really need to re-read this series so that I can give this book a proper review...more
To be honest, if this hadn't been a heist society novel, this probably would have been a 4-star read. Not all the characters were well developed, and To be honest, if this hadn't been a heist society novel, this probably would have been a 4-star read. Not all the characters were well developed, and some things were a bit too convenient. However, because I am such a Heist Society fan, I loved it. It was so nice to re-visit some of my favorite characters, even though some of my favorites (like Simon and the Bagshaw brothers) barely appeared. And Nick didn't even show up once :( But Hale, Kat, and Gabrielle were there, so it was still great.
While I wish this had been a full length novel, I still really, really liked this. (And I'm still holding out for a 4th novel!)...more
Re-Read: August 2021 Still loved this. While many things in this book are somewhat unbelievable, that's just part of the fun. Mary and James are such fRe-Read: August 2021 Still loved this. While many things in this book are somewhat unbelievable, that's just part of the fun. Mary and James are such fun characters to follow and I love their bickering just as much as when I was 12.
Original Review This book includes Victorian London and a woman pretending to be a boy -- two of my absolute favorite things in books. So obviously I completely loved this....more
Re-read: September 2020 I really loved this. Everything I said in my first review is still true so I don't have that much to add. School is also rough Re-read: September 2020 I really loved this. Everything I said in my first review is still true so I don't have that much to add. School is also rough this semester (thank you COVID) and I don't have the brain power to write a proper review, so here's a list of random things I enjoyed and feel like highlighting.
- I feel really bad for Apollo! Everyone was so mean to him for the entire book. Ya, I guess technically most things are his fault, but I still thought it was unfair how rude people were to him. I suppose it makes sense given that I was privy to his internal turmoil and the other characters weren't, but I still wish people were a bit nicer to him. At least he has Meg I guess. - I've seen a few reviews complain about Leo and Calypso in this and I don't really understand the hate. They definitely weren't as lovey-dovey as some of the PJO couples, but I think it makes sense. We missed the honeymoon stage of their relationship and each of them explained why they were having a bit of relationship trouble. Despite the fighting I think it was pretty clear that they really cared about each other and I still think they are a super cute couple. - Commodus may be the least 'interesting' villain in the series, by which I mean he's pretty much just crazy and evil, but I really liked him (as a villain). His history with Apollo adds another dimension to the story that I really enjoyed. - Seeing the Hunters made me really want a book just about them. Some of them can be really annoying with their weird and unnecessary hatred of men, but I feel that could be fleshed out in a full novel. Plus I forgot how much I liked Thalia and it was nice to see her again.
I am so excited to continue re-reading this series. I remember all the major plot points, but it's been long enough that I forget all the details so it's going to be so much fun to read the next book.
Original Review I was worried that I had outgrown Rick's novels, but obviously I haven't. I LOVED this! It was funny and action-packed, but also touched on some more serious topics.
I want to start this review by talking about our favorite annoying-as-hell protagonist: The God Apollo. Apollo is still a narcissistic jerk, but you can tell that he's starting to change. He's started to feel guilt and regret for his past actions, something entirely new for a god! His evolution from an obnoxious god to a decent guy is extremely slow, but it wouldn't make sense if Apollo was suddenly a nice guy. I hope that by the end of the series will have grown quite a bit since there are still 3 more books for him to evolve.
You can really feel sympathy for Apollo. Even though he used to be almost amoral, he's been through a lot. His father was horrible to him and he's seen a lot of shit. It was also nice to see that even though he's a huge playboy, he's shown to actually care for many of his past flames. (view spoiler)[I felt for him when he had to kill Commodus. That must have been awful for him. (hide spoiler)] And I think that it's great that he's canonically bi. The last book had a strong emphasis on his relationship with Daphne, so I'm glad that one of Apollo's same-sex relationships got the spotlight in this book. That being said, I'm glad that Apollo's behavior is never excused. Apollo is held accountable for his actions. Even though godly power would go to anyone's head, Apollo has done plenty of inexcusable things he must answer for.
Now, let's talk about my one true love Leo. I was so excited that he was in this book! I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed that he wasn't in every single scene of the novel, but given that this is the Trials of Apollo and not the Trials of Leo, it makes sense. Leo and Calypso are a ship that came out of nowhere, but I would go down with it. For some reason their relationship seem different than the other relationships in the PJO universe, but I'm not sure why. Probably because, unlike all the other couples, we've never seen them in their honeymoon stage. Even now, when they're an Official Couple, they barely have time to interact! And they're (very slight spoiler ahead) fighting! I'm glad that (view spoiler)[ they decided to stay at the Waystation, and I really, really hope we see them again. Otherwise I'll just have to re-read their scenes from HoH...though I'll probably do that anyway. (hide spoiler)] And while we're talking about Calypso, I'd like to mention how much I loved her interactions with Apollo. Not in a ship-y way, just in a this-would-make-an-awesome-funny-friendship way.
I think Riordan is definitely hitting his stride when it comes to diversity. Between Apollo, Nico, and practically the entire cast of the Magnus Chase series, he has created so many wonderful diverse characters. And now he's introduced some more. I really like Emmie and Jo, and I'm glad that they were included. We now have our first established (and successful!) lesbian relationship in one of Riordan's books! We've seen quite a few older straight couples in his books, but never an LGBT one. And they have a kid! I just think that their relationship is important to have in a children's book.
Many people complain about all of Rick's books being the same. While I can see where they're coming from, I disagree. This book (and series) has a very different feel than the other books. It feels slightly...darker? I'm not sure. The villains are certainly more brutal than the other villains, and I think the themes are slightly more mature than the other Camp Halfblood books. And of course our narrator's personality is very different then any of our past narrators.
I will end this review with a paragraph about all the random things I loved, but don't have much to do with anything else. We saw Thalia and the Hunters!!!! The blemmyae are hilarious. Meg is starting to grow on me. I absolutely adore Britomartis. She is amazing, and her official art is stunning. Plus it was nice to meet someone who wasn't wooed by Apollo, no matter how much he pursued them.
I can't wait to read The Burning Maze! I will definitely be picking it up soon, likely within the next few months....more
I loved this book! It may not be the book for everyone, but I really enjoyed it.
Like most Chick-lit, this book is very dramatic and not exactly realisI loved this book! It may not be the book for everyone, but I really enjoyed it.
Like most Chick-lit, this book is very dramatic and not exactly realistic. But, if you're willing to look past that (and of course you enjoy Chick-lit,) you should like this book.
The story is told almost entirely through emails, so if you don't enjoy that type of thing you probably won't enjoy this book much. I thought it was actually really cool! Sometimes you don't know exactly what's going on and you have to guess from the different emails you get to see. It was really original and different and I think it worked well with this story.
Because it is told through emails, this book goes really quickly. Each email is like a tiny chapter, and after you read one email, you always want to read another! Overall, if you're looking for a quick read where you can just turn your brain off and relax, this book is for you....more
Re-Read: August 2024 I read this while re-reading the rest of the series (I read the stories of each character prior to the book where they were introdRe-Read: August 2024 I read this while re-reading the rest of the series (I read the stories of each character prior to the book where they were introduced) and it was a load of fun! Most of the stories are just fun snippets that fans will enjoy, but other stories (specifically The Princess and the Guard and The Keeper) add a lot of context and plot to the series. I wish other book series had short story collections like this. It's a really fun to revisit favorite characters in a low-stakes, plot-irrelevant way.
Re-Read: December 2021 I loved this, it was brilliant and perfect, and I don't want to hear a word of criticism on that opinion. [image]
I will admit that I completely skipped The Little Android because I just don't have any interest in the story, but other people like it so I guess it must be ok. The other stories were amazing though, so they more than make up for my lack on interest in the Little Mermaid retelling. Lunar Chronicles fans should 100% pick this up. The stories add a lot to the characters and the world building, and in general they're just really good and interesting.
Something Old, Something New (the wedding story) isn't my favorite in the collection, but I loved it because we got to see the Rampion crew all together and all of the couples had some really adorable moments. Even Iko and Kinney had a cute moment that I never noticed before! So ya, this was awesome and I'm so happy that I decided to re-read the collection + the entire series. I will now need to have the strength to not immediately start Cinder again because tbh I kind of want to.
Re-read: November 2018 Still loved this! I loved all the stories! (Except for The Little Android. If I'm honest, I actually skipped that story. I just wasn't feeling interested at the time.)
My favorite stories were Glitches, The Princess and the Guard, and Something Old, Something New.
Original Review 5 BILLION STARS!!! This was absolutely amazing and perfect. I loved each of the novellas.
The Keeper - 5 stars I loved seeing young Scarlet! She was just as I imagined her. Overall, a great story.
Glitches - 5 stars Definitely one of my favorites. It was nice seeing Cinder before she got all cynical. The only bad part was that it reminded me of how much I loved (and miss) Peony.
The Queen's Army - 5 stars This was much more sentimental than I expected, but still amazing. I think the author did a great job developing Wolf's (or Ze've's) character in so few words. And I loved seeing how the mutant operatives were trained.
Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky - 5 stars Possibly my favorite, solely for the reason that Thorne is in it. He's my favorite character :)
Sunshine - 5 stars Shells aren't allowed to read? What? Anyway, I loved this story so much! Young Cress was just as I imagined her. Optimistic, sweet, and incredibly naive. It was really interesting to see Luna from her POV, since we normally see it from a completely negative light, and not from an idealistic POV.
The Princess and the Guard - 5 stars Pure. Perfection. It made me love Winter even more than I already did. Marissa Meyer managed to add in so much character development in so few pages. And it was great reading about all the things that were mentioned in Winter, but never actually seen (ex: how Winter got her scars). It was absolutely amazing.
The Mechanic - 5 stars I've always loved reading scenes from different people's POV. It was really interesting to find out exactly what Kai was thinking during his first meeting with Cinder.
Something Old, Something New - 5 stars No spoilers here! But this story was amazing. I loved it <3
Re-read: September 2020 This book was so good and it's so different from all the other books in the Percy-Jackson-Universe. Ya, it kind of has the sameRe-read: September 2020 This book was so good and it's so different from all the other books in the Percy-Jackson-Universe. Ya, it kind of has the same structure and a lot of the same humor, but Apollo is such a unique character (within this universe) so the entire book has a different feel. Apollo is so flawed and honestly pretty unlikable. It's kind of fun to have such a narcissistic narrator because he has so much room for growth. He's changed so much by the fourth book in the series that I forgot how much of a jerk he was in this book. I still feel a lot of empathy for him though. He's dealt with a lot of trauma throughout his life and it's clear that the Olympians don't believe in therapy.
Another reason why this book is so different from the other PJO books is that we got to spend a lot of time at Camp Half Blood! Even though I am definitely not a camp person, it sounds like a really fun place. It was also a nice reminder that Camp Half Blood continues to exist even if Percy and Annabeth aren't there. I liked learning more about the campers I already knew and there were tons of new, interesting characters to meet. And, of course, it was great to see Will and Nico together. Will is honestly such a ray of sunshine and it is so nice to see a happy Nico. After all the angst he went through during HoO, he deserves to be happy and (relatively) safe. Percy wasn't all that present in the book, but he was great whenever he showed up. (view spoiler)[And I'd be remiss to not mention Leo and Calypso! Since this is the third time I've read this I wasn't surprised, but I was still so happy to see them come back. I love both of them and can't wait to spend more time with them in the next book. (hide spoiler)]
I am so psyched to continue re-reading this series. I'm going to wait a bit until I read the next book so that my re-read of the 4th book coincides with the release of the 5th book in the series.
Re-read: May 2018 I had so many thoughts on this when I first finished this book. Sadly, it has been a while since I finished, and I can't remember what I wanted to say. I do, however, remember that I absolutely loved this. It was funny, action-packed, and surprisingly heartfelt. And it had an awesome ending.
I was really impressed by how distinct Apollo's voice was. When I first heard that Rick Riordan was writing yet another book in the PJO universe, I was worried that the protagonist was just going to be Percy 2.0. I think it was a great idea to have Apollo as the protagonist because he's so different from anyone else heard from. He's the complete opposite of the usual selfless heroes we read about in Rick's books. He's selfish, cowardly, and a complete narcissist. He's the first character who has so much potential to evolve. I can't wait to see how different he is by the end of the series. I also really liked the exploration of why Apollo is the way he is. You could tell from his narration that, unlike Nero, Apollo isn't a horrible person to the bone, but rather he's just been raised wrong. (And that his godly power has gone to his head.) I felt bad for him when he was describing his relationship with Zeus. No one should feel that afraid of their father - even if they're a god.
I'm so excited to continue exploring the Percy Jackson universe. It's so unique and diverse! And there is so much material for Rick to work with! I felt like I knew most of the mythlogy covered in the PJO and HOO series, but there was so much content in this book that I'd never heard of before. I had no idea that there were multiple oracles. I always thought there was only one! I'm super interested in Greek mythology, but I find that when I try to learn it myself it gets a bit dry and boring. Fortunately Rick's books are never boring.
This doesn't really fit into my review, but I also just want to mention how much I love Apollo's relationship with Rachel Elizabeth Dare. I had never thought about it before, but I suppose they must have had a working relationship for quite a while, given how she's the oracle and all. I just thought that their relationship was funny, and I loved how Rachel knew how to talk to Apollo, but also wasn't afraid of making him angry.
My computer is about to die, and Goodreads doesn't have a save button...so I guess I'm going to have to leave my review like this regardless of it's quality...:)
Original Review Oh. My. Gods. THAT WAS AMAZING! [image]
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This is one of my absolute favorite books in the PJO cannon, and all the other ones are already so good! Apollo was such a funny narrator, and he was completely different from Percy, or any other narrator Rick has written before.
I love the diversity in this book. There were characters of various ethnicites and sexualities, but it never felt like there was diversity for the sake of diversity, it just felt real. My favorite thing about this book was the we got to catch up on all the other characters. Even the more minor ones like Clarisse and Grover! It was great to hear about all of them, but it was also nice that they weren't the main characters, and we got to meet some new ones.
This book was just so different from all the other PJO books. Unlike every other book, there wasn't a quest. Because of this, we got to spend more time at camp half blood! This book takes place during the winter, so we even got to see camp half blood during the winter session, when it's not very full.
I'd also just like to say that I'm super happy that Rick Riordan decided to include the myth of Daphne and Apollo. I know my name isn't all that uncommon, but I rarely see it in books that I read. I'm just so happy my name's in a book by one of my favorite authors! :)
I feel like this review is really bad. I have so many things I want to say, but I can't find the right words to explain myself. I'm still in shock from the ending, and I really don't want to wait until the next book is published...in a year! [image]
I really, really enjoyed this story collection! My favourite one was probably Luke's diary because, well, I like anything related to Luke. The Son of I really, really enjoyed this story collection! My favourite one was probably Luke's diary because, well, I like anything related to Luke. The Son of Magic was also amazing though. Maybe that one was my favourite? Either way, The Demigod Diaries is worth the read if you like the PJO/HoO series....more
Re-read: September 2020 Holy crap 18-year old me had a lot to say about this book. I really don't think there is much that I can add to my review. (vieRe-read: September 2020 Holy crap 18-year old me had a lot to say about this book. I really don't think there is much that I can add to my review. (view spoiler)[Well, I guess I can say that I take back what I said about shipping Kyoya with Nanako, the woman from the Spain episode. I still love their interactions, but there's no way Kyoya would date/marry someone who wouldn't help his family or further his ambitions. (hide spoiler)]I really loved this volume and this series as a whole. The main plot is funny and dramatic and amazing, but I'd also recommend checking out the bonus chapters that the author has released!
Rankings of my favorite host-club members (this actually changed a lot!): 1. Kyoya 2. Hunny 3. Kaoru 4. Tamaki 5. Hikaru 6. Mori
Re-read: December 2018 I can’t believe that I’ve read this series 4 times! Pretty much once every year since I first read it. I’m amazed that I still enjoy this series and haven’t grown tired of the plot. The plot is particularly crazy in this volume, but it works perfectly. (view spoiler)[The ending was also ridiculous, but it also made so much sense. Having the entire host club come to US to stay by Haruhi is so sweet and so selfish and so completely them. (hide spoiler)]
Ouran always undercuts the drama with humor, and while some people may hate it, I love it. I don’t usually enjoy overly dramatic scenes and I thought that there was just enough humor to lighten the mood of the book. My favorite example of this occurs after (view spoiler)[Haruhi admits that she loves Tamaki and he begins to wail about Hikaru: "Would you please refrain from passionately screaming someone else's name after I've just made a love confession?!” The scene would have been too melodramatic if the author hadn’t added some humor to it. (hide spoiler)] And the author continuously makes fun of tropes like still being at the gate 5 minutes before takeoff. (Sidenote: I am sure that Tamaki’s dad enjoyed his dramatic stomach-pain performance.)
The thing that keeps pulling me back to the series is the characters. I love them all so much, and I do mean all of them. There isn’t a real villain in this story, so I love all the characters, including the supporting characters like Kuze and Mei. However, my favorites are, of course, the host club members, and I think it’s fitting that this volume focuses on them. This is their story after all. And because this is their story, I’m going to spend the rest of my review talking about each of the host members. Be prepared for an essay!
Haruhi Ah Haruhi, our androgynous main character. Haruhi’s development is not as apparent as that of the other host club members, but she’s changed significantly throughout the series. While most of the host club members matured over the course of the series, Haruhi kind of did the opposite. She didn’t regress exactly, but she learned to have more fun and that not everything is about school or academics. The host club members helped her out of her shell and she’s now much more open to new experiences. That being said, she is still completely the same character. She has grown so much, but she’s not so drastically different that she’s unrecognizable. She is still crazy smart and driven but she sees the benefit of fun and silly activities. (view spoiler)[Her future with Tamaki is SO CUTE and I’m actually kind of sad that we only got snippets of it :(. (hide spoiler)] Haruhi is definitely not the flashiest character in this series, but she still manages to stand out from the crowd.
Tamaki Tamaki is a character that you can’t help but love. He is a massive idiot, but he’s an extremely well-meaning idiot who just wants everyone to be happy. He is the nicest, most genuine character I have ever come across. Even though he is a “host” he seems to genuinely care about every client he encounters. If there were more people like Tamaki in the world it would be a much nicer place.
Tamaki’s life hasn’t been easy and it’s admirable that he’s still so sunny. The last few volumes have been quite dramatic and Tamaki was pretty angsty, so I am super happy that he’s pretty much back to normal. I thought it was so funny that (view spoiler)[he didn’t realize that the host club was stalking his date with Haruhi even though they literally changed him out of his clothes and into new ones. He is such an oblivious boy. (hide spoiler)] Tamaki has matured so much since volume 1 but he’s as lovable as ever and has shown much more depth than I ever imagined he would.
Kyoya Kyoya is definitely one of my favorite hosts. I don’t know why, but I love him so much! He’s also a super interesting character to analyze since he hides so much under the surface. He tries to come off as cold and unfeeling, but the more you learn about him the more you learn that’s not true. He is calculating and colder than the average person, but he cares so much about his friends. In this volume he says he acknowledges Haruhi’s worth as a person. While that may not sound like much, for Kyoya it is. I’m glad the author decided to show that Kyoya cares about Haruhi as much as the other host club members even if he doesn’t show it well. Kyoya may pretend that he’s just friends with the host club members for power and status, but everyone knows it’s a lie.
But honestly, who would be able to show affection openly if they had grown up with the Ootori family. I know I talk about the Ootori family a lot, but that’s because they are so messed up. Fuyumi, Kyoya’s sister, literally got scolded for coming home to visit, and Mr. Ootori literally thinks of his sons as pawns. I honestly don’t know if there is any love within the family, aside from Fuyumi.
On a bit of a happier note, I definitely relate the morning Kyoya. I too am a complete demon when people try to wake me up in the morning ...more
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