I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.
Okay.
"Swords & Stilettos"
Where should I even begin?
Let's just start with Zoe. Who - at least for me - was literally a cookie cutter version of a typical YA protagonist. Complete with angles, insta-love and a love triangle. Of course.
But don't take what I'm saying to be a jab at this book. I enjoyed the characters, no matter how odd they were (YASSSS SHAY AND I LOVE STAR WARS) and I did enjoy the magic and action. I just couldn't get behind Zoe herself.
Not that she was bad or annoying or anything. It was just a bit too cliche for me.
So instead, I'm going to pretend that she wasn't and get right into things.
The opening of the story lied to me. At least, that's how it felt.
She said she was shivering.
It's like summer outside.
And she's wearing a dress.
And I thought they were outside but they were at the coffee shop (???).
The descriptions needed to be more clear about what was going on and where they were. Honestly, she gets this huge cut on her arm and I don't even remember that happening except that she fell and thinks she broke her arm.
Which threw me for a loop and I had to re-read the entire passage and discovered only the blister on the back of her foot.
Okayyyyyy
Weird.
But that was the pattern for the rest of the book. I kept reading something and then would be automatically confused as to how that happened.
Then there was the insta-love. The "zap" of electricity every time they touched. It kind of made sense why but it didn't and I was left like ummmmmmm..... okay.
But the world was a bit more... odd than usual.
There were angels and demons and nephalim. And fairies.
And werewolves.
And apparently witches are real too.
And there's this prophecy that she's the Redeemer.
But to be honest when I read the prophecy I was confused by it too. Like, is she supposed to kill everything or just demons? I mean, don't get me wrong, it wasn't this confusing for the entire book. Just like the first 100 pages or so. So, like, half of it.
I definitely enjoyed the characters, though, even if they were filled with pretty much every cliche possible, and I did like the way the book ended (YOU WILL FIND almost NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW!!!) but I wanted her to have some sort of reaction to all of this. Instead she kind of goes with the flow.
Like I'm sorry, if I just found out my BFF is an angel and never told me I would beat them up. Or at least yell at them. Extensively.
But nothing. She's just like "Oh, okay, let me go home and eat dinner with my family but not really and then let the strange boy who give me fuzzy electric feelings into my room and then take me for a magic carpet (wing) ride"
Do you see where I'm going with that?
Because that's literally how it felt.
Overall, the story might have been cliche but it was super fun and easy to get into, pulling me along for the ride. The writing wasn't bad at all, just the descriptions needed work. The world needed more expanding but I understood where we were at all times. I loved the characters but they were awkward for a large portion of the time or just bizarre. Like, they were all friends with her because of the prophecy. So none of them would've been her friends is that hadn't been the case.
As for originality? I gave that a full star. It was definitely... something.
(The full breakdown is below)
Well, I have to admit, that was an interesting way to start off my day.
I'm intrigued enough to want to know what happens next and whether Sam, the devil, (sorry, Supernatural ruined that and I couldn't stop laughing that the Devil's name is Sam) will win. But probably not because it's a typical YA book.
I just would like to know what happens next.
Story: 1/2
Characters: 1/2
World: 1/2
Writing: 1/2
Originality: 1
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