paperprivateer's reviews
1457 reviews

Enjoyment rating: 2
Quality rating: 3

I realized about halfway through this book that this wasn’t my kind of book and I wasn’t the right audience for it, but I’ll try to be otherwise as objective as possible.

In the beginning of the book, the vibes were immaculate, as the kids say. The book had a rich academic atmosphere full of mystery and intrigue. The description of the library alone had me convinced this was THE book for me. The dark academia elements were right on, and Page trying to find her way in a new school with her classmates from different worlds is well done. I loved the references to classic literature, and I enjoyed the fact that I had to pull out a dictionary and Google more than once to brush up on my vocabulary or references to Greek mythology. That doesn’t happen very often, and it’s exactly what I’d hope for in a dark academia book. I wish some of the references had more depth to the story instead of just showing how educated the characters are, but they’re fun regardless. It was perhaps trying a little too hard, but I was here for it.

Things got weird when it moved from dark academia boarding school with super rich kids to the magical elements. What was working really well was lost in trying to develop and explain what was going on. There are a lot of complex explanations, fast action scenes that are hard to follow, and a lot of confusing events. To be completely fair, I’m not into demons or body swapping as concepts, but I also had a hard time following what was happening — or figuring out why I should care. There are a lot of weird things going on, and I found it more gross and disturbing than enjoyable in any way. 

The character development started out well, but several characters had big moments later in the book that didn’t hit for me because their development had paused. I sometimes had a hard time remembering which character was which, which got even worse when body swapping came into the picture. It seems like found family was supposed to be a key element of this, but there were characters that never seemed to have a relationship built with Page herself except for just being part of the friend group automatically. 

It also seemed like there wasn’t a lot of development in the overall effects of what happens in the book and how this school and the actions of it have been going for so long. What happens after the events in the book? What kind of impact did this have in the world? How closely connected is the mythology of this book to the real world? I never could figure it out. There’s a big need not to ask too many questions to get through the book, and I found myself not wanting to ask them because I didn’t really want more details about this weird world anyway. I did wonder why all of these students for generations didn’t ask those questions though. The kids that go to this school are supposed to be smart, but oh boy are they willing to be oblivious about some really weird stuff. 

Overall, this wasn’t a book for me. I just don’t like gruesome elements, demons, or body-swapping much. If I read something with those elements, I need the book to be well-written to convince me to stick around anyway. This book didn’t do that. However, I think dark academia fans looking for a dark magic story may enjoy this a lot.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book for purposes of review. My opinions were not influenced by this at all. 

 Enjoyment rating: 2 

Quality rating: 3 

 

 

This is a cute story but doesn’t bring a lot to the table. It’s not particularly bad or particularly good. Some readers will connect with it, but it’s fine overall. It’s predictable and the characters aren’t the most developed, but it’s lighthearted and has a good message. 

 

The general message about spreading kindness and thinking about others is fine but not executed in a particularly special or notable way. It’s the kind of thing you’ve heard stories of people doing before, so the concept of the ripple affect and what she learns isn’t unique. 

 

I didn’t think that the multiple POVs worked well. Instead of rounding out the story, it got harder to follow the different characters and what they wanted. I get that the different POVs were supposed to show how the main characters actions affected the people around her, but having them bogged down the story and made it take a long time for anything notable or important to happen. Zella’s growth would have been more apparent and impactful if the book had stuck to her POV instead. It takes a long time for the prank going wrong to happen, and most of the book’s important action happens too quickly at the end instead of being distributed well throughout the book because of those POVs. 

 

That said, I do like the growth that Zella goes through. Part of growing up is learning to take responsibility and recognizing how what you do and say influences other people. Unfortunately, she also comes across as stupid and selfish for the majority of the book, and it’s hard to put past her actions just because of a grand conclusion. It is nice to have a prankster character dealing with big issues of growing up, friends’ interests changing and tough life concepts like a grandfather with dementia. 

 

The execution of the message is a little too trite for the audience. Kids are smart, and this book seems to try to be deep and meaningful (particularly with its inclusions of things like dementia and divorce), but it also dumbs a lot of things down. The story itself probably would have worked better as a shorter book for younger readers with less attempts to hammer in the message. 

 

Overall, the end message is sweet about how to make the world a better place and it’s cute at times, but the book overall isn’t likely to leave much of a ripple effect on readers or the world. It ends with warm, fuzzy feelings and may inspire readers to try their own pay it forward type efforts to make their communities a better place. 

 

Enjoyment rating: 5 

Quality rating: 4 

 

 

What if everything I didn’t like about Divine Rivals was fixed and made into a different book? That is The Otherwhere Post for me. 

 

I loved Divine Rivals for the *vibes*. Typewriters connecting people who fall in love? Adore it. But I didn’t love some of the darker elements or some of the plot issues. I wished there was something else that gave me academic, bookish type vibes without those issues. And boy, did The Otherwhere Post deliver for me. 

 

I loved the magical writing elements, the school and the aspect of trying to avenge her father/trying to find out the truth of what happened with her father. The characters were delightful, the mystery was fun and the magic elements made sense. The imagery in the writing made me feel like I was really in the world. I adored the magic coming from writing — what bookish person wouldn’t? 

 

The slow burn between Tristan and Maeve is well done. It didn’t feel like it switched from strangers to lovers too quickly, and they had some great banter. Overall, I adored the romance between them. Tristan easily could have gone into the too cliche to like category with his background, but it’s unique enough and he’s sweet enough that it works well. 

 

I did think the ending was just a little too abrupt, but otherwise I enjoyed the pace. I wish it had been just a little bit longer for more time for the climax and for just a little bit more slow burn. 

 

If you want a magical dark academia setting with a fun magic system and great banter, I recommend picking this one up. 

 

Enjoyment rating: 5 stars 

Quality rating: 5 stars 

 

Ohhh this book! 

 

I very rarely cry because of a book. This book not only made me cry, but I read some of the final passages to my husband so he could cry too. This is the kind of book that cements my belief that middle grade is where the best books are being published. 

 

That all said, this isn’t a book for every kid. It’s about death, grief, and loss — but also about friendship, unselfishness, and love. It’s about our deepest fears and the greatest parts of life. That might sound like hyperbole for a book about an undead fox, but I promise it’s not. 

 

The characters are far from perfect, but they’re lifelike and lovable. Every side character and even the narrator have complex, memorable things about them. The characters had more depth than many characters I read from books for older audiences. Clare has a lot of insecurities and worries in a way that makes him so lovable and someone you want to root for, even when those traits are causing problems for him and the characters around him. He has a lot of growth that develops in a natural, gentle way that feels like getting a warm hug after processing your own feelings of inadequacy. 

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The writing was also poetic and beautiful. The setting comes to life with vibrant descriptions and creative elements. There is humor and sparkle throughout. 

 

I don’t think I can truly write a review that captures how beautiful and special this book is. Just go read it. It’s magical, and I hope people will be reading this book one hundred years from now. 

 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review. 

 I read this book before I found out about the controversy with this author. I would recommend anyone considering this book to research the author themselves to make an informed decision on if this is an author they wish to support.  I agreed to review this book before I was aware of the controversy.

I love pirates. I love academic stories. This book should have been all of my wildest dreams coming true. And while I did enjoy it while I was reading it, the second I finished it and started thinking deeper about it, it fell apart. 

The world-building is weak. There are mentions of religions and pirates and even a historical figure, but it’s not clear how all of those things fit together. Is there magic that can reincarnate someone? That never seems to be clear, even though the main character seems to think it’s possible. I was never certain why things worked the way they did.
The pirates are theoretically the good guys, but their systems seem just as rigid and cruel in some ways as the empire is. It’s supposed to be a democracy where people are equal and free, and yet they don’t seem any safer or free from inappropriate use of power. I also don’t know why the cazadores are the way they are or what life looks like for most people in this world. I couldn’t figure out how the government is run, which seems like a pretty important detail if we’re supposed to discover how bad this regime really is. 

Ximena is an intensely frustrating main character. She’s supposed to change her mind throughout the book, but it is so mind-numbingly slow. She sees example after example of the cazadores being awful and wrong and she flat-out refuses to change her mind. Her character arc of why she wants so badly to become a cazadore also falls flat when her backstory is revealed. It just doesn’t make sense. She’s so hopelessly stubborn until she has to change her mind for plot reasons. She also has a terrible attitude and is awful to people. She also doesn’t really have character growth. 

Similarly, the romance is weak. He’s a nepo baby bully who cares about nothing but somehow decides he’s wildly in love with her, in spite of her aforementioned stubbornness. I have no idea why these two change their mind about each other. I have no idea why Ximena doesn’t stick to her morals and turn him in over and over again. At least Dante shows slightly more of a nuanced character than Ximena even if it doesn’t make a lot of sense. 

I also didn’t like some of the writing itself. The random Spanish felt like it was more for color than anything else. The timeline doesn’t completely make sense (how is she being bullied by Dante the whole time in the same classes if she’s skipping years constantly?) There were descriptions of things that didn’t entirely make sense. There were some issues with how disabilities were portrayed, and I was troubled by the only people who were not white being described as being uncivilized.

Generally, the characters were annoying and irredeemable. The world systems don’t make sense. The writing had some issues. Overall, this book could have used another few drafts before it was fully developed. I wish it had been as fun as the cover had made it look. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review of the book.

I suspect that this will be the best book I read in 2025. 

This book is like a hug. Not like the kind of hug when everything is great and nobody has any problems, but the kind of hug where life is hard but it's okay because there are people who will love you anyway. And speaking of hugs, I would love one from every character in this book, thank you very much.

The characters are the heart of this book. There's Hurricane, whose name sounds like she should be a force to be reckoned with but is more focused on battling her own inner storms from her mother dying, her difficulty in standing up for herself and having to go live with her aunt instead of with her sister and dog she loves dearly. There's Aunt Claire, a woman who loves Latin mottos and things being orderly although she doesn't entirely know how to make suddenly being responsible for a child an orderly business. Mr. Keats is a man with a warm smile and comfortable-looking boots who struggles with PTSD but has a way with cooking and knowing what Hurricane isn't quite able to say. That's not counting Theo the fish boy who has a way with animals or any of the lovable animals Hurricane encounters in her life. 

All of these characters learn and grow through the book, and each has to adjust how they view people and life. There's so much growth and adjustment as they all deal with their lives changing, and it's all so beautifully done. They grow and adjust just like people do in real life: gradually and as needed, sometimes with difficulty and sometimes with sweetness.

The characters deal with some challenging issues, but it's never too intense. While there are issues of the Great Depression, World War I PTSD, monetary issues, prejudice, and tuberculosis, it is relevant enough to be meaningful but not significant enough to be depressing. 

I truly loved everything about this book. If you want a historical middle grade book that will make you want to move in with the characters or adopt a stray cat, this is the one for you. I wish I'd had a book like this when I was a shy kid trying to figure out how to use my own voice. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

It’s been a little while since I’ve read Alice in Wonderland, but this book felt like I was dropped right back in the world. Maybe if I’d more recently read the Lewis Carroll original, I wouldn’t have been as delighted. Since it's been a while, though, I found this to be a phenomenal addition to Alice’s adventures.

Instead of feeling like a retelling or loosely based, this book feels like.a true sequel. Alice is back, once again interacting with the characters she met before but this time as a spy. 

The writing is similar to the originals but feels just a little bit more modern. It still has witty moments, and Alice speaks and thinks in the same way we were introduced to her in the originals. I went in with somewhat low expectations, but it surpassed them by being a book that fit very well with the world and characters we already know. I'd say the main difference between this and Lewis Carroll's books is that this one has a more coherent plot.

For me, the book felt like a natural addition to the world of Wonderland, and I think fans of Alice who want more of her adventures are unlikely to be disappointed with this book.