Review Comparison: The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Review Comparison is a feature where I pull out the pros and cons of the book mentioned in my review and other bloggers' reviews.

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The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. There are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger--a boy who seems to fade like smoke--appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi's need to know-- about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab's debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won't soon forget.

Click for my original review:

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

The following bloggers kindly allowed me to include their reviews in this feature:

Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me: 5 of 5
Musings of a YA Reader: 4.5 of 5
Mindful Musings: 4 of 5 
Alison Can Read: 4 of 5
One Librarian's Book Reviews: 4 of 5
A Girl, Books and Other Things: 3 of 5
Bookworm1858: 2.5 of 5
Logan E. Turner: 2 of 5
Dreaming Dreams No Mortal Ever Dared
Everything To Do With Books 
Rainy Day Ramblings
Pica Reads
A Backwards Story
YA? Why Not?


Please click on the links to read their full reviews!

~Conclusions~

Reviewers were almost unanimous in their positive assessment of the writing, though some did not like it. Commentary on the writing style dominated most reviews.

Readers were also divided on the pacing, with some finding it too slow and difficult to get into and others stating they were sucked in immediately.

Main character Lexi was generally well liked, as were the supporting characters. Readers were again divided on the romance, though most liked the male lead.

~Writing, Pacing and Setting~

Writing:

• "...a creepy, Gothic setting with a dystopian-esque feel..." (Mindful Musings)
• "...my skin crawled from the creepiness of the descriptions." (A Backwards Story)
• "I loved the atmosphere of this fairy-tale story." (One Librarian's Book Reviews)

• "...[the writing] didn't strike me as anything special." (Bookworm1858)
• "...not a very plot-driven book...very atmospheric..." (Bookworm1858)

• "...beautifully written..." (Mindful Musings)
• "...an incredible writer. Her way with words is amazing." (Pica Reads)
• "...beautiful, full of stunning descriptions that make readers feel as thought they're actually there." (A Backwards Story)
• "...lyrical..." (Musings of A YA Reader)
• "The story is beautifully written and captivating." (YA? Why Not?)
• "The writing is absolutely beautiful, so evocative without being overly flowery." (A Girl, Books and Other Things)
• "...an elegant way of writing that I found beautiful and hypnotic." (Logan E. Turner)
• "Schwab's writing is dripping with detail, painting clear images in your mind, but without getting bogged down." (Logan E. Turner)
• "...beautiful, lyrical-literary quality...I was transported...the prose never overshadowed the story." (Alison Can Read)
• "...absolutely amazing and poetic writing style." (Everything To Do With Books)
• "...gorgeous...spellbinding and mesmerizing...honestly some of the most breathtaking and beautiful writing I have encountered." (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "The writing was so beautiful and poetic...vivid descriptions...eerie and chilling tone." (Read Me, Bookmark Me, Love Me)

Pacing

• "...I didn't feel anything but boredom..." (Bookworm1858)
• "...the first 50 pages or so were slow to me." (Dreaming Dreams No Mortal Ever Dared)
• "...I did have [trouble] sticking to the story for long periods of time...I really had to push myself for a while." (A Girl, Books and Other Things)
• "...the story moved a bit slow for my tastes...the stakes never felt high enough for me to care about the outcome...I felt like I was fighting reading inertia, and that the more I read, the less I could actually continue to consume." (Logan E. Turner)
• "The story is somewhat slow and drags a little toward the end." (Rainy Day Ramblings)

• "The story was slow, but consistently held my attention." (Alison Can Read)
• "While not a fast-paced thriller, there is plenty of adventure...." (YA? Why Not?)
• "The pacing was steady--never brisk, but not slow either--with creeping tension building as the story progressed. The very beginning was a touch slow for me, but I was fully invested as soon as the children started disappearing." (Small Review)

• "...it kept me turning pages late into the night, and when I finally turned the lights out, I was kind of tempted to hide under the covers." (Mindful Musings)
• "From the first page, I was sucked into the gorgeous writing that creates each scene...intense" (One Librarian's Book Reviews)
• "...enthralling, drawing me in immediately and keeping me mesmerized until the very last page." (Read Me, Bookmark Me, Love Me)
• "Tightly plotted to slowly ratchet up the tension." (Musings of A YA Reader)
• "...builds at a steady pace, pulling readers in until it's impossible to put the book down." (A Backwards Story)
• "It starts off at a steady pace that kept me interested but then things started getting really intense and suspenseful and I was completely sucked into the story until the very last page." (Everything To Do With Books)
• "...sucked me in so completely...I couldn't put it down once I reached the climax..." (Pica Reads)
• "Tension is high with fear of the unknown, making the book impossible to put down." (Read Me, Bookmark Me, Love Me)

General

• "...creates her own folklore in a way that feels realistic...." (A Backwards Story)
• "...exquisite...with a fairytale-like quality." (Musings of A YA Reader)
• "...has a fairy tale quality..." (YA? Why Not?)
• "...the entire book feels like a fairy tale retelling." (Pica Reads)
• "It read like the fairytales of old." (Alison Can Read)
• "...an enchanting book that reads like an old fairy tale." (Rainy Day Ramblings)

• "...an amazing work of literary art." (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "...left me breathless." (Read Me, Bookmark Me, Love Me)
• "...stoked my imagination, held my attention, and then left me with the satisfied sigh of a story well-told and neatly ended." (Small Review)
• "...a well-crafted, unique, and beautiful tale...[but] it fell a bit flat." (Logan E. Turner)

~Characters~

General:

• "I didn't feel any connection to the characters, to the plot, to the setting." (Bookworm1858)
• "I had a difficult time connecting with the characters...the atmosphere was so rich and so alive that I actually think it took away from the characters for me." (Small Review)

• "...all just so vivid in my mind's eye." (Musings of A YA Reader)

• "The interaction between the main character, Lexi, and her family was great." (Mindful Musings)
• "...I loved that [Lexi] had strong feelings about her younger sister..." (Bookworm1858)
• "...Wren - who made me smile from the start, she's such a well-written, adorable child." (A Girl, Books and Other Things)
• "Lexi's mom, she didn't play a big part in the book, but she was another favorite of mine." (Dreaming Dreams No Mortal Ever Dared)
• "I liked that Schwab took the time to develop the character of Lexi's mother." (Mindful Musings)

Lexi

• "Lexi is an admirable character, I guess. But she's so nondescript and typical of a YA heroine." (Bookworm1858)
• "Lexi's protective instinct didn't ring quite as true for me. I thought she was just nosy and curious." (Logan E. Turner)

• "So many times in YA books the girls of the story come off as weak, not Lexi, no way..." (Dreaming Dreams No Mortal Ever Dared)
• "I respected Lexi a lot as a character for not simply doing what she was told." (Mindful Musings)
• "I loved Lexi's character. She felt so real, with her own strengths and flaws...She seemed so rational...refreshing to read from her perspective." (Pica Reads)
• "I loved Lexi. She is persistent and brave...extremely well developed." (Alison Can Read)
• "I liked Lexi...she was the kind of person who always tried to do what was right and I admired that in her." (Everything To Do With Books)
• "I admired her strength and tenacity." (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "Lexi is a brilliant protagonist as she is courageous, intelligent and not afraid to stand up for what she believes in and wants." (Read Me, Bookmark Me, Love Me)

~Romance~

• "I'd get caught up into Cole's windstorm any ole day!" (Dreaming Dreams No Mortal Ever Dared)
• "I absolutely adored Cole, he was mysterious and just really likable." (Everything To Do With Books)
• "I loved Cole without even knowing why." (Pica Reads)
• "Their romance was subtle yet sweet. I liked Cole very much...It's hard to put into words exactly what I liked about him. It was more of a feeling than anything else." (Alison Can Read)

• "I never fell in love with Cole, or even believed that Lexi truly had..." (Logan E. Turner)
• "I liked him as a character, but I didn't *love* him as a romantic interest...Since I didn't swoon for Cole, I found the romance distracting from the main mystery" (Small Review)
• "[Cole] remains in part, a mystery." (Rainy Day Ramblings)

• "...boy is it a good love story. It was developed perfectly at just the right pace, it made sense and wasn't instantaneous, the emotions between the two were realistic and the conflicts they faced were heart-wrenching..." (Read Me, Bookmark Me, Love Me)
• "...I actually liked Cole...but I felt that [the romance] fell victim to the stereotypical YA paranormal romance syndrome...developed a bit too quickly for my taste..." (Mindful Musings)
• "[Lexi] and Cole fell in love very quickly, much too fast for me to believe it was real." (One Librarian's Book Reviews)
• "The only thing I didn't like about The Near Witch was the romance...it seemed to come out of the blue and felt unbelievable to me." (Musings of A YA Reader)
• "...it bothered me that [Lexi] got so swept up in the new boy in town. I felt they had no chemistry." (Logan E. Turner)

~Ending~

• "The ending was pretty good, but what I didn't like was after all the build-up and the excellent story telling, it just kind of fell flat for me." (One Librarian's Book Reviews)
• "The ending felt a little abrupt...it leaves a few unanswered questions." (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "..ended so perfectly and satisfyingly, the climax and conclusion executed very well. There were no abrupt endings, no empty feelings of incompleteness." (Read Me, Bookmark Me, Love Me)

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Review Comparison: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Review Comparison: The Body Finder

Review Comparison is a feature I do where I pull out the pros and cons of the featured book mentioned in my review and other bloggers' reviews.

Click here to read previous Review Comparisons.

Click here to suggest a book for a future Review Comparison.

The following bloggers kindly allowed me to include their reviews in this feature:

See Scoot Read: 10 out of 10 
All of Everything: 5 out of 5  
Daisy Chain Book Reviews: 5 out of 5  
Books for Bears: 5 out of 5  
The Book Cellar: 4.5 out of 5 
In the Closet with a Bibliophile: 4.5 out of 5 
Books for Company: 4.5 out of 5  
Books of Amber: 4 out of 5  
Rainy Day Ramblings: 4 out of 5 
The Book Vixen: 4 out of 5  
Bookworm1858: 3.5 out of 5  
Mindful Musings: 3 out of 5  
Muggle-Born: 3 out of 5  
BookAHolics Anonymous
Buried in Books

An additional review:
Annette's Book Spot: 4 out of 5

Please click on the links to read their full reviews! 

Conclusions

Reviewers were almost unanimous in liking the chapters told from the killer's point of view. Most reviewers also liked Jay, Violet, and the presence of Violet's parents in the story.

Feelings were mixed on the pacing and the balance of the romance with the mystery: Some felt the romancing was too overpowering and slowed down the plot, whereas others loved the romance and felt the pace was consistent and swift.

The majority of reviewers were surprised by the ending and the killer's identity, but at least one saw the ending coming ahead of time.

 

General: Writing, Pacing

Balance of romance and mystery:

• "I would have preferred less of the romance and more focus on the paranormal" (Bookworm1858)
• "...what I got was more of the tale of a budding high school romance with just a bit of action thrown in the mix" (Mindful Musings)
• "...there were a few times where the story lagged. The first half of the book moved a little slow, especially since the majority of the focus was on Violet's feelings for Jay...[and this] becomes overbearing at times" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "The mystery part of the story was the best part" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "A lot of the focus was on Violet and Jay's relationship...I found that this slowed the mystery part slightly, however I don't think it took away from the story" (Books of Amber)
• "...though the muder mystery aspect of the book sometimes seems to take a back seat to [Violet and Jay's] developing relationship, I was pretty OK with that" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "...the relationship between Violet and Jay...takes a very front seat in this book (and I hope continues into the second book)" (Books for Company)
• "...a perfect blend of romance, suspense and mystery" (The Book Cellar)
• "Derting did a wonderful job of keeping the story balanced. It was half romance and half murder-mystery" (Books for Bears)
• "It has suspense, romance, more psychological tension in it than any other novel I've read recently that I can think of for YA" (Buried in Books)
• "...the perfect blend of mystery, danger, paranormal-ness and romance" (See Scoot Read)

Paranormal ability

• "The overall idea of the book also caught my attention immediately" (Mindful Musings)
• "The paranormal (and mystery too) aspects of this book were fantastic" (Bookworm1858)
• "I would have liked a touch more information on the workings of this ability" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "Violet possesses an unique and interesting paranormal gift" (The Book Vixen)
• "...completely original, unlike anything I've ever read before" (The Book Cellar)
• "I liked the sheer uniqueness of this idea" (All of Everything)
• "...a different twist of what we've come to expect from paranormal fiction plots" (In the Closet with a Bibliophile)
• "...it was interesting...to read how Violet described each death echo" (All of Everything)
• "It was interesting to read...the way each of the dead had a specific sound to them, or as [Violet] calls them echos" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "The description of the way her ability worked was beautiful, lowering the creep factor of being able to 'sense dead bodies'" (Books for Bears)
• "...a novel concept. I also appreciated the way the author incorporated almost all the sensory inputs into Violet's ability" (Rainy Day Ramblings)

Writing/Pacing

• "...very good writing style" (Mindful Musings)
• "Kimberly Derting provides and extraordinary, fresh voice in the paranormal genre" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "...send chills down your spine and put goosebumps on your arms..." (In the Closet with a Bibliophile)
• "The author has a great writing style; she kept me engaged the entire way and I never once lost interest" (The Book Vixen)
• "...the writing was engaging and the author's voice just sucked me into the writing" (Muggle-Born)
• "The writing was simple and believable" (Buried in Books)
• "The first pages really grab you" (Books for Bears)
• "...didn't put it down until I was done with it...I loved it from start to finish" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "You won't want to put this book down once you start" (The Book Vixen)
• "...an original story that will captivate readers from page 1" (The Book Cellar)
• "...thrilling and exciting...will keep you up, late into the night, glued to the pages" (The Book Cellar)
• "It draws you in and keeps hold of you literally to the end" (All of Everything)
• "[The author] kept the suspense going all the way up to the very end" (The Book Vixen)
• "I could not put this book down!...I was hooked from page one and the story kept me on the edge of my seat until the last paragraph" (See Scoot Read)
• "I liked the edge of your seat, heart pounding scenes; the surprise twists and the dramatic ending" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "There was just enough information without any overload" (The Book Vixen)
• "...a total page turner...fast-paced" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "...maybe a little slow to begin with but it picked up rather quick" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "...this book starts in quite a calm way...not long after the action picked up quickly and I was totally engrossed in this book!" (Books for Company)
• "Once the book hits midway the action picks up with some scary scenes that are edgy and frightening" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "I found that the pacing for this story was fairly average" (Books of Amber)
• "...just didn't move fast enough" (Mindful Musings)
• "...I saw the ending coming pretty early on in the book, which made me lose interest" (Mindful Musings)
• "I didn't figure out the ending to this one" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "I had a fun time trying to guess the killer, and let me tell you I was wrong" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "Time and time again, we think we have solved the puzzle, only to turn another corner and realize we were no where close...keeping us guessing until the very end" (In the Closet with a Bibliophile)
• "The mystery was alluring...but overall, I found that the whole book was very predictable...stereotypical crime drama with an added paranormal twist" (Muggle-Born)
• "...one of my favourite books of 2010" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "I couldn't find one thing wrong with this book except that the sequel isn't sitting in my hands right now" (Buried in Books)

Characters

General:

• "I also had a hard time connecting with the characters...they were a little flat and a little overly stereotypical" (Mindful Musings)
• "The writing flows and the author does a nice job with character development" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "There's great character development, not just with the main characters, but with the secondary characters as well" (The Book Vixen)
• "[I liked that] both her parents were involved in some way...even her uncle was" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "They [the parents] were protective of her, something not often seen in YA novels" (Buried in Books)
• "I found the relationship with her parents an interesting one which felt very thought through" (Books for Company)
• "I liked the fact that Violet's parents were present and active in the story" (Mindful Musings)

Violet:

• "I was so proud of her for using her power even when it was hard for her or when her family/friends worried about her" (Bookworm1858)
• "Likeable" (The Book Vixen)
• "...relatable and fun...smart, strong...had a pleasant voice" (The Book Cellar)
• "I loved the character of Violet...brilliant backstory...funny...strong, and determined" (Books of Amber)
• "...a great female protagonist...she stays true to herself" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "Violet was an awesome character not to whiny like most" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• I felt like I really knew Violet but I didn't understand why she was so insecure" (Buried in Books)

Killer (no spoilers!):

• "I also really enjoyed the chapters told from the serial killer's perspective- they were terrifying but it was different" (Bookworm1858)
• "...incredibly haunting, dark and gritty. It's seriously disturbing and eerie..." (The Book Vixen)
• "...really added to the story...very creepy" (Books of Amber)
• "...creepy and intense, but also really intriguing...thrilling" (All of Everything)
• "I REALLY liked how [the author] included short chapters from the serial killer's point of view" (Mindful Musings)
• "...helped to build up suspense and interest" (Mindful Musings)
• "...certainly adds a chilling aspect to the book...left me feeling spooked and sent shivers down my spine" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "The most genius aspect of this novel is what Ms. Derting has created by adding the thoughts of the murderer" (In the Closet with a Bibliophile)
• "These sections were especially terrifying and suspenseful because you never know who the girl is as he stalks her" (Books for Bears)
• "I absolutely loved the chapters that brought me into the mind of the killer. I thought it was a fresh idea, hearing two perspectives of the "hunt"" (Muggle-Born)
• "It really adds to the mystery...Kimberly did it great" (Books for Company)
• "...gave the book a terrifying note of realism...disturbing and fascinating...provides plenty of chills" (Rainy Day Ramblings)

Romance

• "I thought it was a bit too steamy for YA although still technically clean and it was boring" (Bookworm1858)
• "The romance in the book seemed pretty cookie-cutter to me as well" (Muggle-Born)
• "...I felt the relationship in this book changed too easily" (Books for Company)
• "...their relationship was so dang adorable...their interactions are effortless and fun to read" (All of Everything)
• "I loved the scenes of Violet being jealous of the other girls throwing themselves at Jay-hilarious!" (Bookworm1858)
• "I loved the way the pair bickered and joked with each other" (Books of Amber)
• "I do love the chemistry between Jay and Violet" (Muggle-Born)
• "Violet and Jay are officially one of my favorite couples now. I adore their balance of best-friendship and romance" (See Scoot Read)
• "I admired the special bond of friendship that Violet and Jay share" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "...swoon worthy and a total sweetheart" (The Book Cellar)
• "Derting's descriptions of Jay are simply mouth watering...total hottie...a really nice guy too and very protective of Violet" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "...[makes] us wish we were Violet and on the receiving end of [Jay's] thoughtful nature and kind heart" (In the Closet with a Bibliophile)
• "...we should all have a Jay when we are in high school. There would be a lot less therapists in the world with more Jays in the world." (Buried in Books)
• "Talk about protective. He was a life saver" (Buried in Books)
• "[I] straight away fell in love with Jay" (Books for Company)
• "It was easy to ascertain why Violet felt the pull of physical attraction. Jay is loyal and fiercely protective of Violet" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "...a scrumptious love story that will make all who read it, melt" (In the Closet with a Bibliophile)
• "I loved the romance...it was 100% believable! There was a build-up to the romance, making readers wait for it to happen" (The Book Cellar)
• "Her relationship with Jay was one of the best parts of the novel" (Books of Amber)
• "My favorite aspect of the book though, was the relationship between Violet and Jay" (Daisy Chain Book Reviews)
• "I liked [Violet's] relationship-and how it developed-with Jay" (The Book Vixen)
• "I'm a big fan of best-friend-turned-soulmate stories in general, but this one was one of the best I've read in a long time" (Books for Bears)

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Review Comparison: Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Review Comparison: Enclave

Review Comparison is a feature I do where I pull out the pros and cons of the featured book mentioned in my review and other bloggers' reviews to provide a snapshot of opinions.

Click for my original review: 

Enclave by Ann Aguirre
4 out of 5

The following bloggers kindly allowed me to include their reviews in this feature: 

The Book Vixen: 5 out of 5
The Bookish Brunette: 5 out of 5
Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories: 5 out of 5
Books of Amber: 5 out of 5 
Books From a Shelf: 5 out of 5 
Books Before Bed: 5 out of 5
BookAHolics Anonymous: 5 out of 5
A Bird's Eye Review: 4 out of 4
A Tapestry of Words: 4.5 out of 5
Ruby's Reads: 5 out of 6
Rainy Day Ramblings: 4 out of 5
Taming the Bookshelf: 4 out of 5
Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books: 3 out of 5
Stalking the Bookshelves: 3 out of 5
Black Fingernailed Reviews
Madigan Reads
Book Chewer
Blackplume

Please click on the links to read their full reviews!

~Conclusions~ 

Agreement among the reviewers was notably high on almost every point mentioned. The fast-paced, engaging plot and Deuce's fierceness were mentioned by most reviewers and almost unanimously liked. The romance between Fade and Deuce was overall well-received, but the love triangle and other romantic interest fell flat for most reviewers.

Though reviewers were mostly (but not completely) in agreement on the quality of the world building, they were divided on their preferences for the first half (more dystopian) or the second half (more post-apocalyptic). 

 
 

~General~

• "I'm really not one for the dystopian type novels. Well I think I may have found the exception" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "I'm not normally into the zombie scene, but I loved this!"(A Bird's Eye Review)
• "I'm not a big fan of the dystopian genre...[but Enclave was] A pleasant surprise; a book definitely worth reading" (Rainy Day Ramblings)

• "I could not physically put the book down or look away. I sat for hours spellbound by the fantastic writing and interesting story and amazing characters" (Black Fingernailed Reviews)
• "I finished the book in one sitting...I could not put it down" (Books From a Shelf)
• "Cancel any plans because you'll be staying up all night, if need be, to finish Enclave" (The Book Vixen)
• "...it pulled me in to the universe so completely, that I found myself devoting a nice solid five hours or so to solidly reading through this imaginative journey into a dark future" (Madigan Reads)
• "...be prepared to sit down until the last page is done!"(Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories)
• "...I totally could not put down until finished!"(Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories)
• "An engrossing read that will keep you flipping the pages"(A Tapestry of Words)
• "I was sucked in from page one and couldn't put it down until I had finished"(Small Review)
• "This is a gritty, heart pounding adventure that has you flipping the pages eager to see how our characters will overcome the many adversities tossed in their paths" (Rainy Day Ramblings)

• "This is one of my favorite books" (Books From a Shelf)
• "It was fantastic!" (Books Before Bed)
• "I quite frankly loved this book" (Ruby's Reads)
• "It definitely earned a spot on my top ten reads of this year...It's going to be a hard one to beat" (The Book Vixen)
• "Enclave was FANTASTIC" (The Bookish Brunette)
• "Ranks right up there in my favorite reads of 2011"(Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories)
• "This book is gritty, feral and wow...just amazing" (Taming the Bookshelf)
• "...just insanely good!"(Book Chewer)
• "Even characters you want to hate have deeper layers that make you think uncomfortable, philosophical thoughts" (Ruby's Reads)

• "...keeps a fast paced throughout the novel--I can't think of one dull or slow moment"(Books of Amber)
• "...the tension keeps building and building...fantastic fighting scenes...Some parts were downright scary"(Books of Amber)
• "There is plenty of action happening here!"(A Tapestry of Words)
• "Fast-paced...with intense action...The constant running and brutal fight scenes kept up a thriller like pace, but its really some of the slower, quiet moments that I loved the most" (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "...packed with action and was very fast paced" (Book Chewer)
• "Action-packed" (Blackplume)
• "The fight scenes were awesome...the fighting and near-constant peril make for a brisk pace"(Small Review)

• "[The second part of the book is] not bad or dragging but it's not as good as the first part" (Blackplume)
• "The first half of the book grabbed my attention a little more because it was so different...however, the last few chapters started getting really interesting" (Books Before Bed)
• "This book is absolutely thrilling until three quarters of the way through, then it stumbles and falls flat" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "I found the beginning to be a bit frustrating, as your introduced to a lot of characters very quickly and it was difficult to remember who was who and who did what." (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "The beginning is a bit boring...but towards the middle, the book took a wild turn to the interesting and i just could not put it down after that!"(Book Chewer)

~World Building~

• "I absolutely loved the world building in it" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "Ann did a marvelous job recreating a degenerated society, one that was easy to follow and understand" (Books Before Bed)
• "I adore the post-apocalyptic world that Ann Aguirre created" (Ruby's Reads)
• "The world building was a-maz-ing...dark, gritty and bleak post-apocalyptic world" (The Book Vixen)
• "...intriguing and well thought out world"(Books of Amber)
• "The combination of the dystopian society of the underground enclave and the post-apocalyptic setting of the world above in Topside worked really well, and I was glad that we get a chance to see both"(A Tapestry of Words)
• "It's unbelievable how Ann Aguirre was able to create such a world" (Book Chewer)
• "The world building is phenomenal...[Ann Aguirre] takes her time paying careful attention to detail until I felt as if I was [there]" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "Ann Aguirre's world building has two things going for it: 1) It makes logical sense, and 2) I can picture it perfectly" (Small Review)
• "The underground world is compelling and intriguing...dystopia at its best!" (Blackplume)

• "I'm thinking maybe the only complaint Ihad was I would have liked a little more of the underground" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "A lot of the world is portrayed in broad stereotypes rather than delving into intracicies...there is an oversimplification of what could be a very complex landscapes" (Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books)

• "...had a cinematic feel to it; it read like a movie playing in my mind" (The Book Vixen)
• "...you can taste, hear, smell and feel what is going on with the characters"(Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories)
• "Reading Enclave was like watching a movie unfold before my eyes"(Small Review)
• "Ann Aguirre did a great job with her descriptions" (Taming the Bookshelf)

~Characters~

Deuce:

• "...terrific narrator...From the beginning, Deuce appealed to me" (Ruby's Reads)
• "I truly loved this character" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "I wasn't overwhelmed with over-processed thoughts...[Deuce is] a strong, fierce and loyal young woman trying to survive" (The Book Vixen)
• "I loved Deuce I thought she was a strong character, and held her own" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "Deuce is one serious tough cookie...She has a big heart and she's loyal and protective of those she loves" (Black Fingernailed Reviews)
• "She was just plain kickass!" (Books From a Shelf)
• "Deuce was an amazing heroine! She is fierce, brave and completely confident in her role as a Huntress...flat out breath-taking, and probably my favorite heroine of the year!"(The Bookish Brunette)
• "Deuce was a strong female lead...I felt as thought I was right there with her--her voice was so clear" (Books of Amber)
• "Deuce is a tough girl" (Book Chewer)
• "I really loved Deuce; she is one tough girl!"(A Bird's Eye Review)

• "I enjoyed reading about Deuce in particular as she faces internal struggles between being a warrior who accepts losses and the human being who wants to save those she knows" (Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books)
• "As much as I loved her tenacity I also appreciated the side of Deuce that doubted herself and her abilities" (Rainy Day Ramblings)
• "Deuce is such an admirable heroine...I loved seeing Deuce at her more vulnerable moments. She was equally brave and yet somehow soft and emotional" (Taming the Bookshelf)
• "What made me keep turning the page?...Watching Deuce change her thoughts about what makes a person strong or weak"(A Bird's Eye Review)
• "She's tough but has a soft spot, one she eventually embraces" (Books Before Bed)
• "...an appealing heroine to root for--one who is physically and mentally tough-as-nails...seeing her grow emotionally...was fabulous"(A Tapestry of Words)
• "I thought Deuce's reaction...was portrayed very accurately"(A Tapestry of Words)

• "I didn't find Deuce the easiest character to relate to...she tends to justify why horrible things have happen, instead of properly dealing with how she feels about them. I do admire the fighter in her though..." (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "I can't say I exactly like Deuce or relate to her, but i do find her intriguing to read about"(Small Review)

~Romance~

• "Boy, what I would do for [Fade]" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "...together [Fade and Deuce] are just about the strongest team you'll ever come across" (Black Fingernailed Reviews)

• "...three cheers for a romance that grows rather than appears out of nowhere" (Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books)
• "I definitely enjoyed the progression of the relationship between them, as they start out wary of each other, and learn to trust one another as hunting partners before anything romantic happens"(A Tapestry of Words)
• "I also really, really, really want more development between Fade and Deuce [in the sequel]" (Books Before Bed)
• "[Fade is] a little more than your typical mysterious love interest. There are so many layers there to be peeled back and explored, i can't wait to find out more about him"(Books of Amber)
• "The romance is there, but for now it's just kindling"(Book Chewer)
• "There was just enough romance to make me happy"(A Bird's Eye Review)
• "I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the bond between Deuce and Fade" (Rainy Day Ramblings)

• "There is a slight love traingle, but I am Team Fade 1000%...I'm smitten with Fade" (Taming the Bookshelf)
• "[regarding the second love interest]...the raping part was over the top. There could have been a better way to make him a bad guy" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "...although romance isn't a big factor in Enclave, there is a bit of a love triangle" (The Book Vixen)
• "The only minor flaw in this novel is the damn love traingle! I really didn't like where that took the book. Especially as one half of the triangle was...Well, let's just say he wasn't the nicest person" (Books of Amber)
• "I was loving the romance during the first half of the book. It's a slow burn based on mutual admiration with not a speck of insta-love in sight...But then the author totally KILLED it in the second half! The stupid love triangle rears its head..." (Small Review)
• "MAJOR *SWOON* for Fade...but when Stalker kisses Deuce in the woods...I almost, ALMOST forgot Fade. It was smokin' hot" (The Bookish Brunette)

~Ending~

• "The ending is well done because you aren't left with some huge jaw-dropping cliff-hanger, but rather the door is kept open for a sequel" (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "The ending of Enclave left me itching for more" (Ruby's Reads)
• "Pretty much a cliffhanger...The plot is actually pretty sparse and unfinished in this installment, but it does set up some interesting questions"(Small Review)
• "...maintains an internal story arc...there is enough resolution to leave the reader feeling satisfied, but still penty more questions to be explored in sequels"(A Tapestry of Words)
• "There is no climax or resolution just an abrupt end. I felt cheated" (Rainy Day Ramblings)

• "I can't wait to read more of the journey" (BookAHolics Anonymous)
• "...I'm now looking forward to the sequel" (Madigan Reads)
• "I'm very interested to see where the story is headed" (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "I cannot wait for the second book in the Razorland series!" (Taming the Bookshelf)
• "I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!" (Books Before Bed)
• "I was also happy to hear that there will be a sequel to this book"(Book Chewer)
• "I will be the first in line to read the next of this series!"(A Bird's Eye Review)
• "I'm totally on board for more zombie-killing action when Outpost is released in 2012"(Small Review)

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Review Comparison: Entwined by Heather Dixon

Review Comparison: Entwined by Heather Dixon

Review Comparison is an original feature I do where I pull out the pros and cons of the featured book mentioned in my review and other bloggers' reviews.

Click for my original review: 

Entwined by Heather Dixon
3.5 out of 5

The following bloggers kindly allowed me to include their reviews in this feature: 

Pica Reads
Yearning to Read
Books Your Kids Will Love
Lisa Tawn Bergren
A Backwards Story
Milk and Cookies: Comfort Reading: 5 out of 5
Erica: 5 out of 5
The Bookish Type: 5 out of 5
Happily Never Ending: 5 out of 5
Proud Book Nerd: 4.5 out of 5
Books Are a Girl's Best Friend: 4.5 out of 5
Bookworm1858: 4.5 out of 5
Dystopian Desserts: 4 out of 5
The Bucket List: 4 out of 5
Melissa: 4 out of 5
Sniffly Kitty: 3 out of 5

Please click on the links to read their full reviews!

~Conclusions~ 

Reviewers were almost unanimous in saying that, despite the book's high page count, Entwined was a fast read, though a few reviewers did note that the beginning was slow. The romances were liked by almost all reviewers, with the only complaints being minor desires for more passion and depth. Most reviewers commented on the family dynamics taking center stage, and this feature was almost unanimously liked. The biggest sources of disagreement were over the character development (some say perfect, others wished for more) and the character Bramble (loved and hated). 

 
 

~Writing, Pacing and Setting~

Writing/General

• "distinct writing...[Heather Dixon] describes the scenes well, leaving a beautiful image in my head" (Happily Never Ending)
• "...vivid imaginings...captivated me" (Books Are a Girl's Best Friend) 
• "...interesting details make for a magical book" (Books Your Kids Will Love)
• "Lush and descriptive, Entwined brings the tale to life like never before" (A Backwards Story)
•  "It's breathtaking and a moving story" (Happily Never Ending)
• "Dixon's writing is beautiful...rich and lush and emotions run deep in this story" (Melissa)
• "I love Heather Dixon's voice. The diction was powerful, creative, and mind-blowing" (The Bucket List)
• "Easy to read and follow" (Milk and Cookies: Comfort Reading)
• "The only thing I found jarring were occasional modern phrases from the girls" (Lisa Tawn Bergren)
• "...somewhat confusing terminology" (Dystopian Desserts) 
•  "There were far too many repetitive phrases" (Small Review)

• "...great fun to read" (Proud Book Nerd)
• "I can't stop smiling and swooning and laughing...It was downright hilarious!" (Erica)
• "...many laugh-out-loud moments" (A Backwards Story)
• "Incredibly funny" (Pica Reads)
• "...some very humorous scenes!" (Books Are a Girl's Best Friend) 
• "The Penderwick-like titles for things like The Great Rosebush and Snowball Scandal were absolutely adorable" (Small Review)

• "...delightful...This was a total escape read, delving back into a literal fairy tale...in a fresh new way" (Lisa Tawn Bergren)
• "It stayed true to most of the tale, but differed in a few things, and adding an intriguing, magical, dangerous twist." (Erica)
• "...manages to remain true to the original tale while still becoming its own entity" (A Backwards Story)
• "...a fresh new take on the 12 dancing princesses" (Dystopian Desserts)
• "The twists and turns and the originality of it all (all the while keeping really close to the Grimms' story) were almost too good to be true" (Yearning to Read)
• "...a unique spin to the fairy tale and added a fresh and creative dimension that has really made it her own" (Books Are a Girl's Best Friend)
• "...Dixon was able to beautifully combine elements of the original story while branching off in ways that fit so perfectly they could have easily been a part of the original" (Pica Reads)
•  "My only complaint is that it's not as original as I had thought" (Proud Book Nerd) 
• "Entwined just didn't stack up well enough against the two other 12 Dancing Princesses retellings I've read..." (Small Review)

Pacing

• "...fantastic job of pacing the story...I was engaged and interested throughout the book and to the very end" (Books Your Kids Will Love)
• "Desipite its length, this book moves fairly quickly while still allowing me the chance to savor the story" (Bookworm1858)
• "This is a big book (480 pages) but was so smoothly written that it didn't take any time at all to read it" (Milk and Cookies: Comfort Reading)
• "It's a very quick read with a page count that's a lot longer than it seems" (Small Review)
• "It captivated me from the very beginning, and kept a tight hold throughout the entire story!" (Erica)
• "There were no breaks in the story line, the writing flowed gracefully from beginning to end, and there was always something new to chew on...Even when there wasn't a lot of action or mystery, it was still undeniably interesting..." (Yearning to Read)
• "The pacing remained even and never dragged. Once the story sucked me in, it was impossible to put down" (A Backwards Story)
• "...immediately pulls the reader into an enchanted world and brilliantly imaginative story" (The Bookish Type)
• "...[I] was drawn in from the first page...it is long, but I didn't mind at all...it never drags. I barely noticed the length" (Pica Reads)

• "I do have a gripe and that's about the story being way too long. I can definitely see it shorter by about another 1/4" (Melissa)
• "It was very slow in the beginning, making it incredibly difficult to get into...after [a while] it got much better...the ending was fantastic!" (The Bucket List)
• "...the plot is quite slow moving and although this allowed for the excellent character and relationship development, it did affect my enjoyment slightly" (Books Are a Girl's Best Friend)

Plot/World building

• "...the trips to the woods were very well explained and logical" (Books Your Kids Will Love)
• "The landscaping...was magical...Seriously, this world is perfect" (Yearning to Read)
• "The forest itself is gorgeous and I could see it in my mind's eye" (A Backwards Story)
• "The world-building in this novel is phenomenal" (The Bookish Type)
• "...the world within came alive" (Proud Book Nerd)
• "...a beautiful world...a gorgeous setting" (Books Are a Girl's Best Friend)
• "I could hardly visualize anything in the villain's domain...I was SO disappointed, especially given that the regular world was described well" (Small Review)

• "...a historical fantasy full of jaw dropping magic, gorgeous dancing, and fantastic characters" (The Bucket List)
• "...good balance of old traditions, formal dancing at balls and modern behaviour without it seeming out of place" (Books Are a Girl's Best Friend)
• "...a fun read but don't expect much emotional impact" (Sniffly Kitty)
• "...encapsulated a beautiful vision alongside dark and misleading magics...brilliant" (Dystopian Desserts)
• "Usually it is not explained why the princesses go off at night, and I appreciated that this retelling had a backstory that explained everything" (Pica Reads) 
• "...key features of the original tale that are usually integrated in the retellings, but they aren't explained in this version...It felt sloppy" (Small Review)

• "I love the way Dixon fleshes out [the dancing] and turns it into an entity of its own" (A Backwards Story)
• "I learned things about dances that I had never heard about it" (Happily Never Ending)
• "Dixon also managed to write the dancing scenes so that both dancers and people with very little knowledge of dancing could easily enjoy them" (Pica Reads)

~Characters~

Sisters

• "...their names are in alphabetical [order] which makes it easy for a forgetful reader" (Books Your Kids Will Love)
• "...having the alphabetical names helped distinguish all of the different characters...This made things so much clearer and helped define each princess as their own character" (Pica Reads)
• "...the author did a fantastic job making each character different in the book with such a huge cast of characters" (Books Your Kids Will Love)
• "[Except for Azalea] I liked pretty much all of the other characters and I loved the responsible and sweet sister Clover" (Small Review)
• "I loved each and every girl. They all had a part, each one was able to show her colors and to let the reader get to know them" (Erica)
• "I loved all of the sisters, each and every one of them. Each one had her own lovely something to add to the story" (Yearning to Read)
• "...each of the girls had a distinct personality" (Books Are a Girl's Best Friend)
• "...excellent character and relationship development" (Books Are a Girl's Best Friend)
• "Each character shined on the page" (The Bucket List)
• "I quite like Azalea's sisters, though there's too many of them to remember" (Melissa)
•  "The eldest three, Azalea, Bramble (!), and Clover, seemed to have the best defined personalities..." (Bookworm1858)
• "...the author could have added more depth to all of Azalea's sisters...all their personalities felt one-dimensional" (Dystopian Desserts)
  
• "...there isn't a whole lot of depth to the characters or the story" (Sniffly Kitty)

• "[Azalea] was a strong heroine who had her moments of doubts. It made her more accessible for the reader" (Milk and Cookies: Comfort Reading)
• "Azalea, the protagonist, was mesmerizing, struggling with issues of grief and anger in a believable way" (Lisa Tawn Bergren)
• "[Azalea] feels like a real girl with real problems, and she faces them head-on" (The Bookish Type) 
• "I thought she was very unfair and childish...then there's this one scene where she earns herself the Dumbest Move Ever award" (Small Review)
• "...even after 400 pages, I couldn't find myself empathizing alongside [Azalea]" (Dystopian Desserts)

• "I didn't really like Bramble" (Milk and Cookies: Comfort Reading)
• "Thank heavens for [Bramble's] ill-mannered, unruly, outspoken, fiery personality. It definitely livened up the reading" (Erica)
• "Bramble is a personal favorite" (Yearning to Read)
• "I quite like Bramble" (Melissa)

Family

• "The story is really about family and love...and that just warmed my heart" (Bookworm1858)
•  "[Entwined is] actually a moral story about the importance of family" (Sniffly Kitty) 
• "This is really the crux of the plot, with everything else taking a backseat to the family's relationship" (Small Review)
• "I loved the family dynamics so vividly described and drawn out" (Lisa Tawn Bergren)
• "The focus on emotions and the relationship development...was emotional, complex, and ultimately endearing" (Small Review)
• "The close bond between the sisters was adorable to see and was a joy to read about when so many YA book families are dysfunctional" (Books Are a Girl's Best Friend)
• "Their relationship is heart-warming and adorable, reminding me of puppies playfully tumbling over one another" (The Bookish Type)
• "...not unlike unruly puppies...quite adorable the way they tumble into mishaps and accidents, and it made me giggle" (Sniffly Kitty)
•  "The other sisters make their presence known and all together, the sisterly affection and camaraderie was one of my favorite parts" (Bookworm1858)

• "I liked the King and overall he seemed to be the one that did the most growing in the book. A nice touch" (Milk and Cookies: Comfort Reading)
• "The King was a great character because of the conflict he brought to the story" (Yearning to Read)
• "It is refreshing to see a parent-child relationship develop and grow, rather than stagnate or be pushed aside" (The Bookish Type)
• "...the King was a significant presence and complex character, with a charm and charisma all his own" (The Bookish Type)
• "[The King] just might be my favorite character with all of his complex stoicism covering up a softie heart" (Small Review)
•  "It was nearly as magical as the secret passage to see the relationship between the princesses and the king grow and change" (Pica Reads)

Villain

• "Great villain also, very creepy" (Milk and Cookies: Comfort Reading)
• "eerie...I think his character's transformation in attitude towards the girls was very well written" (Sniffly Kitty)
• "The antagonist was fascinating..." (Lisa Tawn Bergren)
• "...without a doubt, one of my favorite antagonists...I never really knew if he was good or bad. He had me chilled to the bone and then doubting my own feelings about him" (Yearning to Read)
• "...is mysterious and written in such a way, my arms got goosebumps as I read" (A Backwards Story)
• "...close to perfectly written" (Pica Reads)
• "The villain is creepy, no doubt about that...[but] I never felt that terrifying trapped feeling I usually get with this tale. The stakes never felt that high to me" (Small Review)

~Romance~

• "The way the three romances proceeded was familiar...I liked all three guys and they all seemed honorable and decent chaps" (Bookworm1858)
• "There were a lot of male characters presented in this story, which I loved. They were all so unique!" (Yearning to Read)
• "Bradford is quite possibly the most huggable hero ever written...[their romance is] endearing...[and] cleverly plotted..." (The Bookish Type)
• "I loved that not only Azalea had a romance, but Bramble and Clover also each had one" (Milk and Cookies: Comfort Reading)
• "Each romance is different and fitting the personalities of the different sisters, but each one is adorable in its own way" (Small Review)
• "...heart fluttering, brilliant, joyful, beautiful romances...each one as breathtaking and beautiful and romantic as the next" (Erica)
• "I like the romance here and it did keep my interest in the novel for quite a bit" (Melissa)
• "Love interests are introduced early on, allowing time for love to blossom...[I] loved meeting all of the potential suitors" (A Backwards Story)
• "Brilliant...none of them are forced or out of place...it feels completely natural" (Pica Reads)
• "...there was no love at first sight...cute" (Books Are a Girl's Best Friend)
• "...I didn't feel satisfied with the romance!...I wished for them to have a more passionate romance than just the rare peck on the cheek" (Dystopian Desserts) 
• "My one complaint is that I wish the guys and the actual romances were fleshed out a bit more than they were" (Small Review)

What do you think? 
Does the Review Comparison make you want to read the book?
If you've read Entwined, how does your opinion compare to the ones presented here?

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Review Comparison: Die For Me by Amy Plum

Review Comparison: Die For Me

Review Comparison is a feature I do where I pull out the pros and cons of the featured book mentioned in my review and other bloggers' reviews.

Click for my original review: 

Die For Me by Amy Plum
DNF at page 120 of 341
Because this was a DNF for me, I am NOT including my review in the comparison. I primarily DNF-ed because the romance took center stage in the plot very early on and I was bored. I also didn't connect with any of the characters and I wasn't feeling the mythology.

The following bloggers kindly allowed me to include their reviews in this feature: 

The Reader Room
Everything To Do With Books
Alison Can Read: 5 out of 5
Musings of a YA Reader: 5 out of 5
Irresistible Reads: 5 out of 5
Melissa: 4 out of 5
Poetry to Prose: 4 out of 5
From the Bookshelf of T.B.: 4 out of 5
My Precious: 3.5 out of 5
Mindful Musings: 3 out of 5
Need Tea: Grade C (2 out of 5)
Ruby's Reads 1 out of 6

Please click on the links to read their full reviews!

~Conclusions~ 

Reviewers were almost unanimous (though not quite) in liking the revenant mythology, remarking on how unique and refreshing it was. The romance appears to be the most divisive factor, with some reviewers loving it and others thinking it commanded too much pagetime.

 
  

~Writing, Pacing and Setting~

Writing:

• "I got a strong impression of Kate and Vincent's world" (Alison Can Read)
• "The writing is lush and rich and incredibly detailed, so much so that I can imagine myself in Paris" (Melissa)
• "...not overly descriptive...just the right mix of imagery and simple prose" (My Precious)
• "...smooth and easy to read. I could lose myself in the plot..." (Alison Can Read)
• "The book captured me and I just had to finish reading it as soon as I could" (Everything To Do With Books) 
• "Enthralling" (Musings of a YA Reader)
• "Very exciting" (Melissa)
• "I couldn't get enough of it. Her prose is beautiful and magnetic" (Irresistible Reads)
• "...crisp and lovely" (Everything To Do With Books) 

• "...great pacing...I never felt like I was trudging through the novel" (Alison Can Read)
• "...the flow of the book was nice and smooth" (Everything To Do With Books)
• "The pace was perfect" (Irresistible Reads)
• "The plot was a good pace" (The Reader Room)
• "The pace of the book is moderate to fast, but may prove to be a little confusing at the start for some readers" (My Precious)
• "...tedious to read [because of the romance]...the main plot only emerges for like the last fifty pages or so" (Need Tea)

• "It would be impossible to not see the familiar tropes in the story, but I felt that Amy Plum managed to give the book its own charm" (Poetry to Prose)

Setting

• "...mysterious and romantic" (Alison Can Read)
• "Plum makes it really easy to picture in your mind's eye the atmosphere of Paris and all the places Kate visits" (Musings of a YA Reader)
• "...refreshing change from the usual high school setting" (Irresistible Reads)
• "...exotic setting...I felt that this setting gave the whole book a new and intriguing feel" (Mindful Musings)
• "[the Paris setting] was a hugely refreshing thing...added to the romantic flavor" (Everything To Do With Books) 
• "I was disappointed not to get a taste of Paris from the writing" (Ruby's Reads)

Mythology

• "Unique" (Alison Can Read)
• "...truly unique and intriguing" (Irresistible Reads)
• "It felt very original...I loved the concept of the revenants" (The Reader Room)
• "...creative and unique, especially when it came to the Revenant beings" (My Precious)
• "...creative concept...loved the idea of revenants" (Mindful Musings)
• "I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of revenants" (From the Bookshelf of T.B.)
• "Woven carefully throughout the book, allowing readers to learn more about the revenants while still being engaged by the overall storyline" (Musings of a YA Reader)
• "There were new ideas and concepts thrown in that made Die For Me stand out" (From the Bookshelf of T.B.)
• "...put her own spin on something different...fascinating...I enjoyed getting more details on [the revenants] as the story progressed" (Poetry to Prose)
• "...the fact that Vincent was an immortal made me roll my eyes a little, however, the way his immortality works is completely different to any other book I have ever read and I actually really enjoyed that part..." (Everything To Do With Books) 
• "I enjoyed the mythology built up for the most part...it's really just a fancy way of saying zombies without the whole icky stuff" (Need Tea)
• "I really, really expected people to have lived so long to have greater wisdom" (Ruby's Reads)
• "It was a bit hard to keep up with all the different "rules" of being a revenant" (From the Bookshelf of T.B.)
• "Amy Plum played fast and loose with the world-building...no sooner does she introduce a rule, then there's an exception" (Ruby's Reads)

~Characters~

Kate:

• "...highly relatable" (Musings of a YA Reader)
• "I think readers will feel a sense of kindred or a sense of sympathy [with Kate]" (Melissa)
• "...very easy to relate to...very easy to connect ...to her emotions" (From the Bookshelf of T.B.)
• "Smart, strong and genuine" (Irresistible Reads)
• Fantastic, interesting, believable, relatable "...she has her head screwed on and she can definitely think for herself" (Everything To Do With Books) 
• "What I loved most about Kate is she thought about the consequences before making a decision" (Irresistible Reads)
• "[Kate is] slow and cautious...this, I think, is extremely positive" (Need Tea)
• "I liked Kate a lot. I thought she was interesting..." (The Reader Room)
• "The characters felt mediocre at best" (Mindful Musings)
• "...I don't feel that I know that much about her outside of her relationship with Vincent...not particularly vibrant" (Ruby's Reads)

Supporting Characters:

• "...well-described, distinct personalities and play important roles in the story." (Alison Can Read)
• "...well-developed" (Musings of a YA Reader)
• "...an impressive cast of side characters" (Melissa)
• "They were all really interesting and brought something interesting to the novel" (The Reader Room)
• Fantastic, "...I just loved all of them as they all had their different characteristic's and their own unique place in the book" (Everything To Do With Books)
• "...endearing and likeable" (My Precious)
• "...realistic and sincere...creatively written and integrated into the plot line" (Mindful Musings)

Vincent:

• "A mixture of reserve, bravery, kindness, intelligence, and passion..." (Alison Can Read)
• "Gorgeous, mysterious, sweet yet sexy and has a French accent. What else could a girl want!" (Irresistible Reads)
• "...mysterious, sexy and yes, French! I was really intrigued by him..." (The Reader Room)

 ~Romance~

• "You could argue the romance is nothing new (although I liked it)" (Alison Can Read)
• "The whole romance aspect...felt like the same old paranormal romance to me...[which] made it hard at times for me to keep reading because I felt like I had heard it all before" (Mindful Musings)

• "They don't fall instantly in love, but there is an immediate connection" (Alison Can Read)
• "...their romance takes a comfortable pace" (Melissa)
• "They actually have time to go on a few dates before being ready to die for each other" (Alison Can Read)
• "I would have loved to see more of their friendship, but their growing feelings for each other didn't feel rushed...it all felt very genuine" (Poetry to Prose)
• "I wasn't even a big fan of their romance, though this was due in large part to the push-pull "I love you, but I can't bear to be with you because I don't want to lose you like I did my parents" stuff" (Ruby's Reads)
• "My only gripe is that I too felt that their "love at first sight" connection was a bit unrealistic" (Melissa)

• "...believable and completely swoonworthy" (Musings of a YA Reader)
• "...quite sweet...[it] had me smiling and enjoying it rather than cringing and being angry with how lame it was" (Everything To Do With Books)
• "...delicious yet tender...lots of playful banter and yummy kissing scenes" (Irresistible Reads)
• "[The romance] is the crux of Die For Me and it was well-written too" (Melissa)

• "My biggest issue...stemmed from the romance piece being the backbone of the story...falling slightly short on the action" (My Precious)
• "Die For Me revolves around the romance...and, in my opinion, the rest of the book suffered" (Ruby's Reads)
• What really went wrong was the romance. It wasn't really insta-love per se, but the way Kate develops a crush on him is instant and all consuming. The majority of the book focused on the trials of their relationship which actually shoved the real plot to the background" (Need Tea)
• "At times I was a little bored with all the Vincent is so gorgeous, I think I love him aspect of the story" (My Precious)

~Ending~

• "If you hate those damn cliffhangers then you are going to love this beautiful ending that gave us a little something extra" (Irresistible Reads)
• "...a very sweet and satisfying conclusion" (Poetry to Prose)
• "The ending wasn't too cliffhanger-y" (The Reader Room)
• "The ending was sweet and bumped this book up from being a poor read" (Need Tea)

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Clarity by Kim Harrington (Review Comparison)

Review Comparison: Clarity

Review Comparison is a feature I do where I pull out the pros and cons of the featured book mentioned in my review and other bloggers' reviews.

Click for my original review: 

Clarity by Kim Harrington
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The following bloggers kindly allowed me to include their reviews in this feature: 

The Bookish Type: 5 out of 5
Bewitched Bookworms: 5 out of 5
Ivy Reads: 5 out of 5
Irresistible Reads: 4.5 out of 5
The Book Scout: 4.5 out of 5
Poetry to Prose: 4 out of 5
Dreaming of Books: 4 out of 5
Stalking the Bookshelves: 4 out of 5
Cheezyfeet Books: 4 out of 5
Annette's Book Spot: 3.5 out of 5
Bookworm1858 3.5 out of 5
Everything To Do With Books
Lisa the Nerd

Please click on the links to read their full reviews!

~Conclusions~ 

Reviewers were almost unanimous in saying that they did not guess the murderer ahead of time. Clarity and her brother Perry were also liked by almost all reviewers. Also noted was the fast pace. The biggest point of disagreement was over the romance, with some reviewers liking the love triangle and others disliking it.

 
 

~Story~

Mystery:

• "I had several theories and I was kind of right but I didn't quite piece everything together" (Bookworm1858)
• "I felt there were enough clues that kept me entertained and I could figure out half of what had happened but I was surprised at the other half of it" (Everything To Do With Books)
• Captivating, "Readers will be able to enjoy the tension and the thrill of the chase, while still being caught up in the lively and playful tone of the narrator." (The Bookish Type)
• "...many twists and turns, and I really didn't figure out who the perpetrator was until it was revealed." (Annette's Book Spot)
• "I was unable to guess who the killer was...there was a twist or two that I didn't expect." (Irresistible Reads)
• "...very well crafted and features quite a few twists...I admit to believing I had unraveled the mystery rather early on, only to realize I didn't at all" (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "The murderer was very unexpected and I wouldn't have suspected him/her at all...talk about the twists and turns...!" (Ivy Reads)
• "[The plot was] predictable, until there was a twist, but then it went right back to being predictable again." (Cheezyfeet Books)
• "It keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to solve the mystery!" (Ivy Reads)
• "The story line was captivating and kept me on edge the whole time...I had theories over theories and in the end I was just wrong...two thumbs up for surprising me here!" (Bewitched Bookworms)
• "...full of suspense with lots of speculation over who the killer is." (Dreaming of Books)
• "A fantastic and unique new mystery...kept me guessing to the end" (The Book Scout)
• "[Kim Harrington] threw a curve ball when I least expected it...my hands were often gripping the pages, my heart pounding" (The Book Scout)
• "Gripping...refused to allow me any shuteye until the last page of the book was turned" (Poetry to Prose)
• “I was constantly on my toes and look at everyone with suspicion...the final reveal surprised me” (Small Review)
• "My only tiny little complaint...is the thriller part could have been a little scarier. I was surprised but it didn't get my pulse pounding." (Irresistible Reads)
• "I never really felt invested in the story beyond surface-level curiosity" (Small Review)

Pacing/Readability:

• Bursts of intensity now and again to keep things exciting" (Lisa the Nerd)
• "I started it in a day and sat down and read it all day until I finished it" (Everything To Do With Books)
• "...suspense will keep [you] on the edge of [your] seat" (The Bookish Type)
• "It keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to solve the mystery!" (Ivy Reads)
• "Easy, quick read" (Annette's Book Spot)
• "Short, quick read" (Cheezyfeet Books)
• Fast read (Bewitched Bookworms)
• Fast paced (The Book Scout)
• "Pacing is steady and to the point" (Small Review)
• "The novel has a beautiful rhythm to it" (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "Hypnotic and intriguing...could not get enough of...effortless style...entertaining and absorbing" (Irresistible Reads)

Paranormal elements:

• "The whole psychic angle was very very well played out...seemed realistic" (Everything To Do With Books)
• "The unique take on psychic ability lends nicely to the murder mystery element" (The Bookish Type)
• "The paranormal parts were nice, blending seamlessly into the overall plot without overwhelming it" (Small Review)
• "I loved the idea of a family of psychics running a business in Cape Cod" (The Book Scout)
• "I liked how there were rules that restricted what they could do [with their paranormal abilities]" (Small Review)
• "I didn't really ever feel like the psychic abilities were all that sinister, or even that they added that much to the story" (Annette's Book Spot)

~Characters~

Clarity:

• "...totally reminiscent of Veronica Mars...I fell into step with Clarity immediately. Her voice was intelligent, sweet, smart, and sincere." (Lisa the Nerd)
• "[Reminded me of] Veronica Mars...they have a similar fire and determination...fierce loyalty to their family" (Poetry to Prose)
• "I liked Clarity...she stands her ground when it comes to her beliefs and ideals...incredibly relatable and really well developed" (Everything To Do With Books)
• "Love[d] Clare from page one" (The Bookish Type)
• "It is refreshing to see a teenage heroine who isn't afraid to fight back against the bullies, rather than crying in a bathroom stall" (The Bookish Type)
• Strong, extremely loyal (Cheezyfeet Books)
• Strong, smart, and sassy..."You can't help but like her. She's also very easy to relate to..." (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "I really enjoy Clare...she isn't afraid to be herself" (Ivy Reads)
• Awesome, fiesty, determined, and instantly likeable. She "sticks up for herself" (Irresistible Reads)
• "Brave, funny and a real strong person...she wasn't insecure and [was] truly determined." (Bewitched Bookworms)
• "Easy narrative voice that I instantly fell into" (Small Review)
• "I love Clarity's voice." (Bewitched Bookworms)
• "Clare's voice blows through like a breath of fresh air, full of snark and vivacity...utterly loveable heroine, with complex layers" (The Bookish Type)
• "Snarky, honest, and speaks her mind" (Dreaming of Books)
• "...snarky, fun teenager and a great narrator...had me chuckling out loud and rooting for her success throughout" (The Book Scout)
• "Sometimes I got the impression that Clarity's leper status might be her fault" (Small Review)

Family:

• "They have great family dynamic" (Dreaming of Books)
• "I love the...family dynamic" (Poetry to Prose)
• "I enjoyed getting to know this fun family and to see how much they loved each other" (The Book Scout)
• "The [family relationship is] tight and honest one...nice, fun banter...which shows off just how much they deeply care for one another" (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "Clare's mother actually has a presence and communicates with her children"(Poetry to Prose)
• "Clare's mom is a splash of humor and genuine love that helped balance this read" (Lisa the Nerd)
• "Perry...is a character I enjoyed" (Poetry to Prose)
• "I fell in love with [Perry]!" (Bewitched Bookworms)
• Perry "was a fun character and I couldn't help but like him" (Small Review)
• "I loved this sister and brother relation, it was sweet, strong and genuine." (Bewitched Bookworms)
• "...endearing brother/sister relationship...dysfunctional parent relationship with their flaky mother" (The Bookish Type)
• "I like that Clarity's mom was a part of the story, but she seemed kind of wimpy and "fragile" to me," which I didn't like (Small Review)

~Romance~

• "I was not really a fan of the romance" (Bookworm1858)
• "I didn't like [the love triangle], mostly because I didn't like either of the guys" (Small Review)
• "Kim Harrington manages to make the reader invest in each romance" (The Bookish Type)
• "I don't need triangles and actually prefer not to have them [but] I don't care so much here." (Bewitched Bookworms)
• "I prefer Justin, he is so sweet...I couldn't help but get annoyed with Clare for being so mean and unforgiving" (Cheezyfeet Books)
• "You'll have a hard time figuring out everyone's agenda, as well as who to root for in the Justin/Clare/Gabriel department" (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "There is a love triangle and it actually worked...I couldn't pick between the two guys either" (Irresistible Reads)
• "I like both guys so really wasn't able to pick one over the other" (Dreaming of Books)
• "It's hard to tell which boy I'm supposed to be rooting for [likes both]" (Poetry to Prose)

~Ending~

Cliffhanger?

• "...Every plot thread is neatly tied up, leaving no loose ends or giant holes in the story" (Stalking the Bookshelves)
• "Wraps things well enough that it's able to stand on its own" (Poetry to Prose)
• "...there are many places where more could be elaborated..." (Bookworm1858)
• "I'm hoping a few things will be resolved in the sequel" (The Book Scout)
• "Clarity ends nicely as a standalone...at first glance" there are still a lot of loose ends (Small Review)

Sequel:

• "I'll definitely be checking out the future books in this series" (Lisa the Nerd)
• "There was an opening left for more stories about Clarity, and I'd be all over that" (Annette's Book Spot)
• "I will definitely read more from Kim Harrington!" (Bewitched Bookworms)
• "I'm looking forward to seeing what's next for Clarity in the sequel" (The Book Scout)
• "...Looking forward to the sequel" (Poetry to Prose)
• "...if this does become a series, I hope to see more depth added" (Bookworm1858)
• "I don't feel a burning desire to get to the next book RIGHT NOW, but I will read the sequel eventually" (Small Review)

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