i firmly believe that the last hours will go down in history as cc’s best shadowhunter series (yeah i said what i said) and these characters will remai firmly believe that the last hours will go down in history as cc’s best shadowhunter series (yeah i said what i said) and these characters will remain some of her most iconic.
cordelia and alastair carstairs will specifically live in my heart for years to come. every moment they spoke in farsi, every reference to persian poetry, and every instance of tenderness between them hit me right in the chest. their individual development and their sibling bond was some of cc’s best character writing i’ve seen yet. also, if jordelia doesn’t rank within your top three shadowhunter ships then idk what to tell you, you’re just wrong.
this book wasn’t without its flaws and hiccups. there were times when scenes would be cut off too quickly and i wish that certain plots had been resolved earlier than they had. however, my emotional investment in these characters and my unwavering desire to see them get their deserved happiness won out. and all in all, this ending was so much happier than i thought it would be and i’m very grateful for that.
i want to LIVE in that epilogue and i pray that cassie continues to churn out short stories featuring these kiddos because i refuse to accept that this is the final goodbye. i’m really going to miss my family....more
(this one could be bumped up to a 3.5 depending on how i'm feeling that day lol)
let me start off by saying this: if cyrus and alizeh aren’t endgame (this one could be bumped up to a 3.5 depending on how i'm feeling that day lol)
let me start off by saying this: if cyrus and alizeh aren’t endgame i will hunt miss tahereh down and give her a VERY stern talking to.
here’s the thing you need to know about this book: nothing happens. it is straight vibes and enemies to lovers build up and that’s it. and on the one hand, i loved it okay i ate it the hell up. however, i couldn’t get over the fact that everything in this book’s 400-page run count occurred in ONE DAY. it, unfortunately, turned what seemed to be a top-tier slow burn ship into an impossibly fast burn. also, this book ended so abruptly that for a solid five minutes, i thought there was a mistake with my copy.
i love this series i really do i will go to bat for it but i cannot ignore those glaring logistical issues. tahereh has announced on her tour that there will be more than three books which thank god for that. i hope the pacing issues will be fixed in the following books because if so, this series will be unstoppable....more
i read this for an upcoming adaptation analysis and let me just say that i have never met a heroine who had such little concern for her own wellbeing i read this for an upcoming adaptation analysis and let me just say that i have never met a heroine who had such little concern for her own wellbeing and safety like this girl luce is RECKLESS...more
now why the hell did i have to wait until the final few chapters for this to get interesting i want my time and money back
(also it might just be the fnow why the hell did i have to wait until the final few chapters for this to get interesting i want my time and money back
(also it might just be the fact that i'm nearly 24 and reading a book geared toward 15-year-olds but dear god every character in this book was aggravating)...more
if you want to hear all my chaotic (and spoilery) thoughts on this book then click here: https://youtu.be/ufIxfovWRok
it’s very rare that i can look baif you want to hear all my chaotic (and spoilery) thoughts on this book then click here: https://youtu.be/ufIxfovWRok
it’s very rare that i can look back on a book after finishing it and like it even more in hindsight. this woven kingdom is one of the those rare books.
i knew i was going to like this novel from the moment it was announced simply because it is heavily inspired by persian mythology, and i just so happen to be both persian and a fan of mythology. but i have to admit, for the longest time while reading this book, i felt lukewarm toward it. i liked the characters, i appreciated the world building, and it was easy enough to get through. however, the final few chapters of this book changed everything. it was plot twist after plot twist and revelation after revelation. so many characters and plot points that i’d dismissed or forgotten about suddenly became important and all the pieces of this intricate puzzle came together seamlessly. this book may have been good, but, i can confidently say, the sequel is going to be absolutely incredible.
the only thing that bugged me about this book was the romance between our main characters. i was promised enemies to lovers and kamran and alizeh were decidedly not that. it all felt very insta-lovey and i just couldn’t see why they had such a strong connection after never really speaking and only seeing each other like twice. and, without going into too many spoilers, i am kinda maybe definitely shipping alizeh with someone else.
there is one particular character who storms onto the scene in the final chapters of the book and stole the show and my heart. if you know, you know. i can’t wait to see what’s in store in the next book and i have a good feeling, based on tahereh mafi’s track record with writing romances, that the ship i want may just come to pass…...more
Teenage Daria would have absolutely adored this novel and I desperately wish I could go back in time and hand it to her!!
Parvin Mohammadi is dealing wTeenage Daria would have absolutely adored this novel and I desperately wish I could go back in time and hand it to her!!
Parvin Mohammadi is dealing with a lot when we first meet her. She’s starting high school, has just been dumped by her first kiss, Wesley, for being “too loud,” and her family is struggling to get a visa for her aunt, who is currently living in Iran in the era of the Muslim ban. Parvin is thrown by the break up with Wesley and is now scrambling to find a date for homecoming, hoping to make Wesley jealous in the process. One day, while watching a romantic film, she decides that she will act like the heroines in these movies. She will laugh at the boy’s jokes and make none of her own. She will remain quiet and demure no matter the situation. She won’t wear her typical wardrobe of bombastic, patterned clothes and glittery eyeshadow.
I really loved that the author did not shy away from the insecurities Iranian, and Middle Eastern girls, feel in general. Parvin laments about her arm and mustache hair. She hates that, in terms of looks, she took after her Iranian father rather than her white American mother. She takes Farsi classes and feels so out of place only being half-Iranian and not being able to keep up with her peers. I really appreciated this and my teenage self could totally have definitely related. In fact, even 22-year-old me can relate.
There are many storylines that aren’t perfectly resolved, one of which is the story of Parvin’s favorite aunt trying to come to the United States to visit their family. There is so much anticipation for her to come and be with Parvin, however, prejudices and bigoted policies get in the way of her trip. I will be interested to see how the author expands upon this and demonstrates the impact it has on Parvin and her family in the next book.
We happen to get an unexpected romantic interest thrown into the mix and, no spoilers, but I adored him and was yelling at the book and begging for him to be the guy Parvin ends up with in the end. I won’t tell you if I got my wish or not, but let’s just say I was very happy with the result. Above all, I loved that there was the primary focus on self-love and acceptance. This is ultimately a story about Parvin coming to appreciate who she is and not allowing anyone to make her feel less than because of the person she is. ...more
i had to read this for a class and after having finished it, i realize it's a book i would probably have not picked up myself or likely would have dnfi had to read this for a class and after having finished it, i realize it's a book i would probably have not picked up myself or likely would have dnf'ed. while i appreciate that this novel brings the important idea of intersectional feminism to young readers, it felt very rudimentary to me. there was very little complexity or nuance to conversations regarding body image, racial stereotyping, and "smashing the patriarchy."
i think if i'd read this book when i was a teenager, i would have really connected with it and learned a lot. but now, as a woman in her early twenties? it just didn't work....more
this was cute and i appreciated the discussions about pcos. however, it was super frustrating that all the issues the protagonist was struggling with this was cute and i appreciated the discussions about pcos. however, it was super frustrating that all the issues the protagonist was struggling with wrapped up way too quickly, with much of the resolution taking place off the page....more
this was highly entertaining, chock-full of twists and loads of drama while also managing to tackle some pretty heavy issues (racism, harassm3.5 stars
this was highly entertaining, chock-full of twists and loads of drama while also managing to tackle some pretty heavy issues (racism, harassment, bullying, and eating disorders). and that ending has me wanting to run out and read the sequel asap....more
edit 1/11/22: that ending hurt even more the second time around
one day cassandra clare will pay for her crimes against humanity and first on the list edit 1/11/22: that ending hurt even more the second time around
one day cassandra clare will pay for her crimes against humanity and first on the list of atrocities she committed will be the ending to this book...more
it was not the romance that made me enjoy this book but instead the portrayal of anxiety and how debilitating it can be. the author managed to perfectit was not the romance that made me enjoy this book but instead the portrayal of anxiety and how debilitating it can be. the author managed to perfectly capture some of the rawest moments of my adolescence; when it felt like the room was caving in on me or any slight movement or tiny decision would send my world spiraling out of control. i loved that the simple act of karina asserting herself and deciding to be an english major was the conflict that made up the crux of the story. a wish so small, so quiet, and yet so powerful and life-changing....more
how in the hell did sabaa tahir manage to write a sequel that was even better than the first book?? i don’t know and i don’t even think i wa4.5 stars
how in the hell did sabaa tahir manage to write a sequel that was even better than the first book?? i don’t know and i don’t even think i want to know because i’m pretty sure she had to sell part of her soul to do it. that’s the only explanation for how good this book is.
the addition of helene’s perspective elevated this novel. it was fascinating to follow the tumultuous political climate of the empire under marcus’s tyrannical reign. the commandant is truly one of the most dynamic villains in ya.
laia and elias continue to be incredible. the introduction of the waiting place, the partnership with the tribes, the cruelty of the warden, and the development of laia’s powers, all these storylines expanded the world and turned it into a complex, detailed, populated setting.
and omfg THAT ENDING!!!! i need to pick up the next book asap but also if sabaa keeps pulling twists like this then idk if i’ll be able to handle it. i really won’t survive....more
sabaa tahir is a master of characterization and pacing. everyone in this book, from the POV characters to the background characters, had their own indsabaa tahir is a master of characterization and pacing. everyone in this book, from the POV characters to the background characters, had their own individual fears and desires. the world sabaa has created is dark and brutal and it keeps the stakes high and the threat of danger very real for our favorite characters. also, i finally understand what everyone means when they say sabaa enjoys hurting her readers. i don't want to know what she has in store for me in the next two books......but i also really do.
whenever people talked about books being “feel good,” i never really understood what they meant. but now i do because this book made me feel good the whenever people talked about books being “feel good,” i never really understood what they meant. but now i do because this book made me feel good the entire time i was reading it and it never stopped. the romance was swoon-worthy, the characters lovable and complex, the pop culture references spot on, and the plot engaging. also, it made me cry so there’s that....more
a ginormous punch to the gut that made me both laugh and cry, just as the author promised it would.
please be wary of the content warnings at the stara ginormous punch to the gut that made me both laugh and cry, just as the author promised it would.
please be wary of the content warnings at the start of this novel, which include sexual assault, molestation, homophobia, anti-blackness, and the usage of slurs....more
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