cameronreads's reviews
524 reviews

I was SO excited to read this as I LOVED Dead End the show, and whilst I definitely liked the show more it was so much fun to be back in this world with these characters. I think Barney is such a great mc and I love the conversations about his transness. The concept and plot here is so unique and interesting. I do think it was tackled better in the show - I think the book had some pacing issues and felt like it was rushing through some of the key points. There was also a bit more plot brought into the show

I loved watching Courtney find out about her angelic past, for example

that was left out of the book that I would have loved to see. I am excited to read the next volume though, as it’ll be content I’m consuming for the first time.

I’m really liking this series so far. I understand why some people may not like it; I feel like people might find this book in particular quite boring, as it’s mostly political, but I really enjoyed it. I really love exploring these complex characters and the moral questions that come into play, especially when it comes to a retribution arc. I think the relationship between our two main characters is so intriguing, and I love how slow it burns. I like the discussions it brings up about colonialism and racism, and I think the representation in all areas, especially the Black, sapphic and disability rep, is great. I would have liked it if Pruett and Fili’s points of view were developed a bit more, as I often forget they existed and was surprised when they came up again, and therefore wasn’t very invested in them as characters or their little sections of plot. This did feel a little like a filler book, with a degree of second book syndrome, but I still really enjoyed it and can’t wait for the final instalment I’m the trilogy. 

I read this book as a break between high fantasies and I think it worked well for that. It was a fun easy read, despite its important discussions of elitism in private education, and enjoyable enough. I think our main character really felt like a teenager in her thought processes and decision making and I really enjoyed that - it made the book feel very realistic. I could feel her growing throughout the book and starting to realise that she was just a kid as well, although this was subtle. The other characters didn’t have quite as much depth though - Henry especially felt like he’d do anything the main character asked and was just kind of magically there whenever he was needed, making him feel more like a tool for the plot than a fleshed out character. I did like the concept of the romance between them; academic rivals to lovers is always fun, but because Henry was just kind of down for whatever the main character needed the tension was really only felt from Alice’s side. 
There was also something slightly off about the pacing right at the beginning of the book (although for the most part it was fine), with magical powers developing all of a sudden and characters just accepting it without a second thought and immediately moving on with their lives. I don’t necessarily have a problem with there being no explanation for the powers (although due to personal preference I would have rather had one) but it did just feel like a very quick onset and acceptance. 
I liked what this book was saying about private schools and I think it was successful for the most part - it wasn’t the most nuanced view but it wasn’t really trying to be so that’s not necessarily a problem. I like that Alice found a way to help others in her situation at the end, which was a nice cumulation of her character growth. 
I also thought it had interesting points about academics and self worth, in fact I wish it had delved into it a bit deeper. There’s a point where Alice realises that she actually does have potential to have deeper relationships with her classmates and she’s accidentally isolated herself, but she moves on quite quickly. She almost has a great conversation with Chanel about why they aren’t better friends and I thought they’d come back to it nearer the end but never do. 
Essentially, I really liked the concept of this book, and if it had been delved into a bit deeper and the characters had been fleshed out a little more, I think I would have really enjoyed it. 

There is a lot to like about this book. If you like pirate stories, you’ll love this; if you’re looking for an adventure with a middle-aged protagonist, you’ll love this; if you want a story with a rich magic and vibrant setting, you’ll love this.  Chakraborty has the most wonderful way of writing setting. It really made this book for me. You can tell the amount of careful research that went into this book, but also the care that went into bringing the research to life. It feels so vibrant and magical.  

I really liked Amina as a protagonist. It felt like such a rich perspective to follow a middle-aged mother who very much feels like her adventures are over into this magical adventure. However it was very clear that she was the centre of this book, and whilst I liked the moments of the other characters we get and the established found family they formed years ago, I wanted a bit more out of the side characters. 

For some reason it took me a while to get into this book. I think it’s partially due to the first person perceptive - whilst the writing in this book is truly wonderful, I do tend not o struggle with first person regardless, especially when there’s only one POV. It makes the story feel very linear to me, which is fine but struggles to hold my personal short attention span. It also definitely picked up nearer the end - the beginning feels more historical, and it slowly morphs into a fantasy nearer the end, which I personally prefer more, so that might be another reason. 

Still, I really enjoyed this book, and it will become a go-to recommendation for me.

I was slightly sceptical going into this solely because it’s really not my genre, but I’m so glad I put my faith in RF Kuang. I think she was the perfect person to write this book, and executed it incredibly well. 

Reading June’s story was at the same time flabbergasting, because how can she really be thinking like this (‘I have been victim to people like Candide and Diana and Adele: people who think that, just because they’re “oppressed” and “marginalised”, they can do or say whatever they want. That the world should put them on a pedestal and shower them with opportunities. That reverse racism is okay. That they can bully, harass, and humiliate people like me, just because I’m white…’ like girl WHAT) and yet also so truthful of so many myths that white people truly believe - that POCs are really at an advantage because of companies looking for ‘diversity’ for example. It was almost agonising to read from June’s point of view, and know it is reflected in so many. I hope that those who do think this way read this book and realise how utterly ridiculous they sound.

The book also manages to be a really interesting critique of the publishing industry and the struggles of POC in this industry. There are so many struggles that side characters face that June practically sweeps under the rug but is so glaring clear to the reader - why is it so hard to insist white authors should have a sensitivity reader? Why do publishers feel like they can only have one author of each marginalised group at once? It’s a testament to Kuang’s talent that she can address these issues despite the fact that June is our main character. 

The writing style in this is very different to Kuang’s other books, but I think her tone works well in it. It’s definitely not my favourite style (which is completely personal preference) but it works well for the book. I also think the pacing worked well, and I like how it started feeling almost supernatural as June started descending into paranoia. The ending worked well for the book too - it is at once unbelievable and believable that June can still believe she is in the right here, fitting for the tone of the rest of the book.

I think RF Kuang did a great job with this genre shift, and whilst I personally prefer her fantasy (fantasy being my preferred genre) I think anyone who enjoys this kind of contemporary thriller will love this one.

I don’t know how this book managed to surpass my expectations but it did by leaps and bounds. A perfect world, magic system, writing style, structure, and cast of characters. I was convinced I’d be saying it was too long, but if anything it could have been longer - I would spend forever in this incredible world with these life like characters. Loved this.

Review to come!

I forgot how much I loved these. Everything is there - the world building, the characters, the plot, the art. Literally they are so good. So glad I picked this up after the break, will continue reading (especially after that ending!)

A very action packed volume! It felt more cohesive than previous volumes which I liked, mostly because we’re now in the main climax without much possibility for jumping around. I always love getting to see Aizawa (my favourite), but I also loved that the latter half seemed to be mostly from our villains point of view. This was really fun and interesting, but also allowed us to see Koichi in a different light which was great! Can’t wait for the next volume.

A lot of what I liked about TLWTASAP was in here: the world building, the different species, the conversations about personhood, the casual and accepted queerness (great genderfluid rep!). However I liked the structure and plot of this less. The quick switching between POVs meant I didn’t get a chance to sit with each character, so I didn’t really get attached to them. This wasn’t a fault of the character development, in fact I thought the characterisations were done well, it was more that I wanted more time with each. It also made the reading of the book feel a bit clunky or stilted. I liked the end more than the rest of the book, which felt like very long set up, so I would have enjoyed it coming into play earlier or lasting a bit longer. Essentially, there was stuff I liked about this, and stuff I didn’t. I’d recommend if you are really eager to follow Pepper and Sidra after TLWTASAP, or if you want more AI content. Otherwise, I would be satisfied with just the first book.