I got to page 172 and let me just say, this is definitely a me problem and not the books fault.
For whatever reason, I just wasn’t vibing with it as mI got to page 172 and let me just say, this is definitely a me problem and not the books fault.
For whatever reason, I just wasn’t vibing with it as much as I was in the beginning. I just... stopped caring about the characters and wasn’t as invested in them. But, again, this is my fault as I’m not a huge fan of love triangles and this book is centered around one.
The time travel aspect I enjoyed. The family was a little weird to me but they were somewhat intriguing at the same time. I think I may have enjoyed this more if it hadn’t been a love triangle. I knew this going into the story, but because of the time travel aspect I still wanted to give it a chance.
I’m also DNFing this because I don’t have the patience to continue with it even though I’m pretty far into it.
Sooo, yeah. If you don’t mind love triangles and want to give this a go, then please consider picking it up! I enjoyed the writing style and would definitely consider picking up any future books from this author!...more
First off, thank you to the author, Shakeil Kanish, for reaching out to me and providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. You�First off, thank you to the author, Shakeil Kanish, for reaching out to me and providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. You’ve been nothing but kind to me, and I appreciate you for that.
Now, let me get some things out of the way first. I only read 30% of this so I can only speak on what I read up until that point. And please consider taking this review with a grain of salt. I am a sensitive person, so certain things bother me more than they bother the average person. I also want to go into this as respective, but honest, as possible. There genuinely was stuff that I liked about this book, but there were also things I didn’t like and I have to put myself first. Which is why I’m calling it a DNF instead of forcing myself to read this and finish it. Also, I don’t want to end up absolutely hating this book, and what I had read I didn’t hate, but I also wasn’t comfortable with continuing it.
Okay, so, the things I liked: Lake? Precious. I absolutely loved him. He dealt with a lot and I loved the bond he had with his brother. Y’all know sibling relationships are one of my favorite tropes, as I have two sisters myself. I enjoyed getting to witness this magical world through his eyes. He was so determined to get answers and to prove himself and I admired him for that. Also, the family aspect was really nice, too. Getting to see Lake and his family together, even if it was for a short time, was a treat. I loved the way the author wrote the family and their love for one another. The writing style was also good, it kept me engaged and interested throughout what I had read. Which is why I’m so sad that I just can’t make myself finish, since I adored Lake and wanted to get to see how he continued to live through this magical world that he did not belong to.
Now, onto what didn’t work for me: As I’ve said, I am sensitive towards certain things. So while this didn’t work for me, I’m absolutely not saying it won’t work for others. There’s a character in here, her name is Nova. She started off, for me, a confident and funny character. I liked her at first. But then the more I kept reading from her perspective, it just got worse for me. I’m all for confidence in women, but I feel like there’s no need for her to say over and over again how confident she is and make all these sexual comments about it every chance she got. I just felt her character was a bit too much for my personal tastes and it was just not something that I wanted to read from. Now, could I have attempted to ignore all that and continue? Yes, and I tried to continue.
I want to go into this as respectful as I can, but as I’m expected to give an honest review, I’m going to mention something that really bothered me and I’m hoping to warn other readers in case it’s triggering for some people. Let me preface this: I am in no way saying because of this you should not read this book. Please, take this review as a content warning if you must, because this book doesn’t deserve to be hated on. Especially because what didn’t work for me, will work for others. I know a lot of people can turn the other way when it comes to Nova’s character. And that’s great! I’m weird and different, I’ve accepted this, but I can’t sit here and lie to myself and say that her character didn’t make me uncomfortable at times. My feelings are valid, but so are everyone else’s. So, if this isn’t going to bother you, then please, consider checking out this book when it becomes available! I want everyone to be able to get to know Lake and his story, as well as Nova. She went through some stuff as a child and I’m not going to lie, some part of me felt for her.
But, unfortunately, a comment Nova made to her friend about another person and wanting to purposely make that other person look fat just to get back at her didn’t sit right with me. Especially as I am a fat woman myself. I’ve learned that being fat or plus-sized shouldn’t be viewed as a negative thing. So when I see things like this that make it seem as if fat should be viewed as a terrible thing, it upsets me and it’s where I draw the line.
Now, it didn't feel as if the author intended this to be malicious or hurtful. So please, just take this as a content warning. I feel like I owe it to people to let them know that hey, a character said this and it’s in here. However, even when Nova had said this, I wish her friend would have spoken up about it and called Nova out on it, instead of just laughing and saying “don’t you dare� ya know? Nova had no right to say that to begin with, but this could have been an opportunity for her friend to turn it around and make it so that fat people shouldn't be deemed as less than others.
Again, thank you Shakeil for taking the time to reach out to me and provide me with an ARC of your book. You’ve been nothing but kind to me.
I tried to go into this genuinely and honestly as I could. I feel like I repeated myself a bunch of times, too. I’m sorry this book didn’t work out for me, but all things considered, I would be willing to check out more books from this author in the future....more
I have lost all interest in this book and actually forgot it was on my 'currently reading' shelf dnvjdfnvdf
Nothing was necessarily wrong with this, buI have lost all interest in this book and actually forgot it was on my 'currently reading' shelf dnvjdfnvdf
Nothing was necessarily wrong with this, but I was just really bored. The start of it captured my attention, and then it just got really bland and almost juvenile like? Which isn't a bad thing, but in this case, I wasn't here for it.
So.... yeah. Hopefully people have liked/will like this more than I did. ...more
Trying to remind myself this was written back in 2015 so it gets a pass for being cringey af is no longer a thing I can contiVery long incoming rant:
Trying to remind myself this was written back in 2015 so it gets a pass for being cringey af is no longer a thing I can continue to tell myself. Because, wow, after venting to a friend about how much I do not like this story and explaining why has made me realize�.. This story is just not for me.
I usually don’t hate things that I read often. I’m not hard to please. I can usually find something to like in a story. And, I guess I don’t completely hate this book. But, at the end of the day, it gets a hard pass from me.
It started off strong. I was curious about it. There’s secrets going around and I wanted to know why and what they’re about. I was hella intrigued by Prince Aldrik. Dark, mysterious, brooding, morally grey characters have my heart and intrigue me the most. But after 63% into it..... I just cannot make myself care anymore. Not even for Prince Aldrik. *womp womp*
Okay, so, in order to vent my feelings out in a way that will maybe, possibly, make you see where I’m coming from, I have to give spoilers from here on, so stop reading if you do not want to be spoiled.
Right, so, if you’re still here basically here are my qualms about this book: 1. Sareem seemed really sweet in the beginning. But then he started pressuring Vhalla into spending more time with him and going on a date, he did not truly take her feelings into consideration. Or, at least, I feel he didn’t. He basically tells her she’s to eradicate her magic because that’s not who she really is and he knows what’s best for her. Then he kisses her without her consent. Which that really was like�. Do I keep going or just give up? Sadly, I kept going.
Then she met Prince Baldair, and that was when I was like, nope. Done. Gone. See ya. 2. He basically steals her away while she’s having a picnic with Prince Aldrik. He takes her to his bedchambers, where he tells her that he will not force her to do something she’s not ready for. Which, that’s wonderful, but then he just got worse. Let me share some quotes with you, not the full sentence, just what they’re speaking:
“Charter is right. It is unconventional for a gala.� (Prince Baldair)
“How unconventional is black?� (Vhalla)
“Very.� (P. Baldair)
At this point she notices his thumb moving over her cheek as he speaks to her.
“Vhalla, you’re a pretty girl, you know. You don’t need to go down the unconventional road to be noticed. Good men will notice you without all that; the men whose attention you should seek. I’m sure some have already noticed you.�
“I-it’s not that.�
“I will show you.�
He goes on to say, “You can have your black, but I will be the one who shows you how dazzling you are.�
And after I read that, I stopped in the middle of the chapter, and realized this story isn’t worth my time anymore.
I don’t know about you, but I am so tired of the girl in distress so the man will show her how beautiful/strong she really is trope. And maybe this isn’t a trope?? If Vhalla fought back and told everyone that she doesn’t need anyone telling her what her own worth is, maybe I wouldn’t have cared as much. Because then it’s about Vhalla recognizing her worth without the help of anyone else, least of all a man.
There’s a difference between supporting someone and being there in a loving, nurturing, supportive way, while also recognizing that that person can make their own decisions and it’s up to them to decide what’s best for themselves, vs someone just being like “I know what’s best for you because I am a man!!!�
That’s the vibe I was getting with this book and I was just not here for it.
So, at the end of all this, I’m sorry, I so wanted to love this story but I just could not continue with it any longer.
If you enjoyed this then I’m happy for you. There’s a reader for every story, but sadly, this one wasn’t for me. But it’s totally okay and valid if it worked for someone else! I can see the appeal of this story, as the magic is intriguing and there are secrets that everyone has. Aldrik was mysterious and I wanted to see him be more vulnerable and emotional. I feel like this could have had a very good ending, one that maybe would have made me want to continue on with the series to find out what happens.
Alas, I just don’t have it in me to care enough to continue.
I don’t usually rate books that I don’t finish, but if I had to give this book a rating as of 63% in, it would be 2 very low stars. The cover, however? Gets 5 stars. It’s beautiful, but unfortunately the inside of this book was ugly. ¯\_(�)_/¯...more
Let me clarify: nothing is wrong with this story! It’s written well and has a compelling plot. Characters that areI really wanted to like this one :(
Let me clarify: nothing is wrong with this story! It’s written well and has a compelling plot. Characters that are interesting enough. But.... I just don’t feel like reading something set in a high school setting. I thought this was an adult book, so I had different expectations going into this. I thought it would be about two brothers being sent to earth to complete a series of tasks for Lucifer. And, yeah, that’s basically what’s happening here. But it’s only one task and, again, they’re having to live an actual teenage life. Which is not what I was expecting since I thought they were older.
Also, I don’t know if I’m over high school settings or not, but I’m not gravitating towards stories like that anymore. Which is why I haven’t cared to read contemporary stories much. Magical schools? Sure, that’s different for me. But just plain high school settings ain’t doing it for me anymore, sadly.
Idk, maybe someday I’ll return to this? Eh, probably not.
update: 8/19/19 Calling it a DNF 42% in. Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.
This made me a bit uncomfortable. The writing was fin update: 8/19/19 Calling it a DNF 42% in. Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.
This made me a bit uncomfortable. The writing was fine, though the characters just felt like your basic high school bitches who think they're better than everyone. I feel like instead of channeling the bullying into a positive way with the girls standing up for themselves, it's just toxic.
There was at one point, about 37% in, something about the sun shining like an attention whore? It was... a bit much for my taste.
Overall, I feel like this is one big potential trigger for a lot of people.
I don't usually rate books I don't finish, but I'm okay with this one because I can justify it. 2 stars. One for the cover, one for the trans rep.
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Netgalley came through and approved an ARC of this for me! Can’t wait to start it! ...more
Calling this a DNF at 57%. Something big just happened and I didn’t care? Which means I think it’s time to give up on this one for now.
I had high hopCalling this a DNF at 57%. Something big just happened and I didn’t care? Which means I think it’s time to give up on this one for now.
I had high hopes and it started off strong, but the plot dragged on too much and the romance felt forced to me. I’m usually one for romances, especially enemies to lovers, but this one just didn’t do it for me. Like I said, it felt really forced and instead of me rooting for them, I just became incredibly annoyed with it. Had there not been a romance and instead had them slowly become best friends, it might have been better.
So, for now, I’m sorry book. You were great at first but I don’t think it’s going to work out between us. Cheers 🥂...more
I think I’m calling this a DNF for now. I just stopped caring and nothing was happening. To be quite honest, I’ve forgotten half of what this book is I think I’m calling this a DNF for now. I just stopped caring and nothing was happening. To be quite honest, I’ve forgotten half of what this book is about.
Sorry, book, it’s just not the time to read you right now. Maybe some other time. ...more
I don't remember how far I got, it's been awhile, but I'm clearing out my shelves on here by going through my 'pick back up eventually' shelf and seeiI don't remember how far I got, it's been awhile, but I'm clearing out my shelves on here by going through my 'pick back up eventually' shelf and seeing which ones I feel as if I will get back to someday and others that I won't.
Unfortunately, this is one that I don't think I'll get back to someday so I'm calling it a DNF. It wasn't bad, it's just not something I'm in the mood to read and don't think I will be anytime soon....more
*wanted to start this off by saying i went to an idie bookstore near me and received a free ARC of this*
okay, i’m sorry, but i’m calling it as an ac *wanted to start this off by saying i went to an idie bookstore near me and received a free ARC of this*
okay, i’m sorry, but i’m calling it as an actual DNF for now. i was super invested in this story for about 80 pages. and then, idk. since i’ve put it down, i’ve lost interest. i don’t really care about this story as much. the characters were really flat to me and the plot was slow going. i normally don’t mind a slow plot, but when you add in boring characters, especially when there are a lot of them, and hardly any of them have differing personalities??? that ain’t it, chief.
maybe i’ll return to this someday?? until then.... thank u, next....more
I remember reading this thinking to myself, "is there a plot to this?" which I feel awful about, but I was honestly really bored with this, and I thinI remember reading this thinking to myself, "is there a plot to this?" which I feel awful about, but I was honestly really bored with this, and I think I got to about 40-50% through it. So, because of this, I'm calling it quits and marking it as DNF.
Mayhaps I'll give this another chance someday??? We shall see!...more
I’m DNFing this for now. I just have no desire to pick it back up. It had a strong beginning, but I’m 44% into it and just have lost interest in it.
Friends, I am so sorry to report but I'm calling it a DNF at 50%.
This was just so boring. I swear NOTHING happened. Well, one thing happened, but it wFriends, I am so sorry to report but I'm calling it a DNF at 50%.
This was just so boring. I swear NOTHING happened. Well, one thing happened, but it wasn't even that exciting? Like, idk.
The characters were boring, the writing was fine, but it was just overall a mess. Sebastien ended up having a couple random POVs about 45% into the story?? It was very jarring to me, because up until this point we had POVs from Celine and the mysterious vampire which we know nothing about. In fact, I think that's about the only thing I liked from this story was the mysterious vampire because that's just it, they were mysterious and we knew nothing about them, and that's what kept them interesting.
The word vampire didn't even show up until about 43% in. Although, to be fair, I did put this story down for about a week or so, so perhaps that word did show up and I just forgot? Either way, it wasn't mentioned very much at all and for a story that's about vampires, you would think it would show up quite often. Maybe that's just me being nit picky.
Overall, very disappointed. I was so looking forward to this story but I just cannot physically make myself continue with The Beautiful.
Many thanks to Edelweiss for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review! --------------------------------
HOLY SHIT EDELWEISS JUST CAME THROUGH AND APPROVED AN ARC OF THIS FOR ME I MIGHT ACTUALLY CRY
LITERALLY NOTHING ELSE MATTERS TO ME RIGHT NOW
THE PLACE COULD BURN DOWN I COULD GET SUCKED INTO A TORNADO A METEOR COULD HIT THE EARTH
let me start off by saying this book wasn’t bad. in fact, had i kept reading, i know i would have said this book is important. unfortunately for me, tlet me start off by saying this book wasn’t bad. in fact, had i kept reading, i know i would have said this book is important. unfortunately for me, this book slump is still looming over me like death itself and just won’t let me out of its chokehold. so, because of that, i just have no interest in continuing it. i’m not sure i ever will. but, again, please don’t take this as it was a terrible book because it wasn’t. it was definitely an “it was me, not you� type of situation. which, seems to be the theme of my bookish life right now.
hopefully someone else reads this and falls in love with it like i so wanted to. maybe someday i’ll give it another shot, but as of right now, i don’t really have any plans to do so. ...more
I think because of the writing style, it was off putting and a bit jarring for me to be able to properly enjoy, I'm calling this a DNF. Maybe I'll retI think because of the writing style, it was off putting and a bit jarring for me to be able to properly enjoy, I'm calling this a DNF. Maybe I'll return to it someday, but it won't be anytime soon, unfortunately. :/...more
i’m actually going to be unhauling this book eventually. this book was very forgettable and i have no need to hold onto it since i’m probably never goi’m actually going to be unhauling this book eventually. this book was very forgettable and i have no need to hold onto it since i’m probably never going to pick this book up again and finish. ...more
i tried reading this for an owlcrate read-a-thon, but unfortunately started this at a bad time in my personal life and put it down. since then, i’ve ni tried reading this for an owlcrate read-a-thon, but unfortunately started this at a bad time in my personal life and put it down. since then, i’ve no inclination to pick it back up again. this is definitely a “me thing� and not the book itself! i did enjoy what i had read, but again, i have too many other things that i want to read way more than finishing this....more
DNF around 60%. this book wasn't bad, i just stopped caring about the plot and the characters. maybe i'll pick it up in the future and give it anotherDNF around 60%. this book wasn't bad, i just stopped caring about the plot and the characters. maybe i'll pick it up in the future and give it another chance. but if i do, it won't be for awhile. maybe i'll try picking it up again closer to when the movie comes out. even if i don't, i'm still interested in the movie and want to see how it turns out, so i might just watch the movie and call it a day. ...more
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