The House of Ivy and Shadow by Natalie Whipple
Pages: 360
Publisher: Harper Teen
Released: April 15, 2014
Received: Library
Rating: 3 out of 5
Goodreads
This is one of those sisterhood witch books where women witches all bond over magic, herbs, and feminine mystery. The plot flips between Josephine's normal life and her growing romance (boring, out of place) and her witch life where her family is under attack from some generational curse and a mysterious creepy guy and his mysterious and slightly-less-creepy-because-he's-dreamy sidekick.
There's a lot I didn't like about this book. The main character annoyed me. I could not get into her romance. There's a lot of "will there be a love triangle" set up, too. The whole book felt kind of eye-rolly.
But, there's something about it that I did like. I was totally engaged. I wanted to find out more about the curse. I actually liked the sisterhood magical bonding. It also felt a lot shorter than 360 pages.
Bottom line: I enjoyed reading it, but I wouldn't read it again. This is a standalone.
Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday
Pages: 303
Publisher: Harper Teen
Released: October 11, 2011
Received: Owned
Rating: DNF
Goodreads
I think I would have liked this book more if I had read it when I got it, which was probably about four years ago. I've changed as a reader and Deadly Cool isn't really my thing anymore. It's nice, but I have too many books on my TBR to spend time on a nice book that isn't grabbing me.
So, what is it? It's a high school book with a spunky main character who likes to lay down funny lines. She's likable, slightly insecure, and has been wronged by her cheating boyfriend...who she is determined to help prove innocent of suspected murder. The mystery seems cute and there is a blossoming new romance and a friend sidekick, all good things.
Bottom line: Good for fans of Clarity and The Liar Society.
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I was hoping the House of Ivy would have a more Gothic vibe especially with that cover on it. I'm annoyed by the lackluster main character and the set-up and fake out of the love triangle. As for Deadly Cool, I have no interest. Hope your next reads are better!
ReplyDeleteMe too! It really does seem Gothic-y, but nope, it's not.
DeleteI always got the feeling that if I read House of Ivy and Sorrow, I'd like it and then promptly forget all about it, which is why I never bothered reading it. I do remember reading Deadly Cool years ago and really enjoying it. I wonder if I'd still enjoy it as much now.
ReplyDeleteHouse of Ivy and Sorrow is pretty forgettable. I did the same thing you did for a while and only finally read it because my library card was about to expire because I moved and that was the only library around me that had the book.
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