Friends Like These by Meg Rosoff Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I bought this book over the summer last year, but with an ever-growing TBR pile, it soon got lost in the long, long list of books that I needed to tackle and recommendations from my deceiving For You page on TikTok. But alas, I finally grabbed it off the shelf and parked myself on the skydeck of my apartment building to catch some sun and check list off the list. The summary on the back of the book drew me in, but unfortunately, it was the only interesting about this book. I was expecting some devious, toxic friendships in Rosoff's novel, but was met with lackluster characterization and a plot that could not get a grasp of what it wanted to be. The writing felt mediocre and often times unfinished - the only upside was the styling allowed reading to be quick paced and after two hours of reading, I only had about 30 pages left.

Beth, eighteen, is riding the high of being selected for a summer internship in New York, is met with a number of challenges raging from the heat of the city to wavering relationships with her co-interns. When luck seems to find her way and she befriends Edie, they have an instant connection and soon become attached to the hip. But with attachment comes consequences, and Beth finds herself riding in the passenger seat of Edie's never-ending drama, theatrics, and mood swings. The more time Beth spends with Edie, the more she succumbs to manipulative tactics and the constant stress of always following her lead. Keeping that in mind, I wish Edie was as diabolical as Beth made her out to be, and while I agree that Edie's actions were frustrating and thoughtless, she just seemed like an annoying, self-centered girl at the end of the day who Beth never stood up to until the very end.

Dan and Oliver's characterization were surface-level and unappealing in the sense that they held no true value to me throughout the entire book. They provided some minor support in showcasing Edie's true character, but ultimately I could not form an attachment or interest in their little side quests - they were simply uninteresting. I wish this read more as a core four toxic friend group rather than two girl best friends accompanied by their male coworkers - it would have made much more sense for all of them to be conniving towards one another than only having one "true" villain of the group.

If you're looking for a quick read that you can fly through, this definitely checks that box. To be frank, I read it so quickly in hopes that there would be some form of climax to the plot that would be explosive or really make Beth and Edie "enemies" but was let down by the end. While this classifies as historical fiction by being set in 1983, the author was only able to set the scene by mentioning the AIDS epidemic and World War II scattered throughout the book - I never felt like I was transported back in time other than when they would mention that bagels would cost twelve cents instead of the typical two to three dollars in today's world. I may give another one of Rosoff's works a chance in the future as I have heard good things, but for now I will move on to my next read.

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Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment, #1) by Rebecca Ross Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

After many months of staring at this book on my shelf, I decided it was time to see what all of the hype was about - and I have to say, I was not disappointed. It has been far too long since I have come across a young adult fantasy series that pulled me in so quickly. With this being a duology, I had high hopes that the pacing and character development would move swiftly, and the author certainly delivered in both departments. There was never a point where I felt as though the story lagged, and every chapter kept the pace of the story without sacrificing lead or side character involvement. I teared up a number of times while reading this, and I can honestly say that it truly went above my expectations.

The gods are at war and Iris's brother is on the front line - as she tirelessly works to earn the columnist promotion while awaiting news from her brother, her life takes a number of turns. Affected by a series of less-than-desired events, Iris's most personal thoughts are suddenly in the hands of someone she least expects - Roman Kitt, the very boy vying for the columnist promotion she has in her sights. As articles in various papers cause commotion among citizens, the myths they heard as children seem more real than ever, and the magical war is closer than they could have imagined.

Iris and Roman's rivalry in order to gain the columnist position had such a great workplace competition vibe to it, and I loved how even when they were competing in getting assignments, there was a subtle undertone of caring from both of them toward one another. You could feel the desire to say more or do more, and watch as their actions were hindered either by their own hand or by outside forces. Ross allows readers to dive into both of their minds with dual perspectives, and with the addition of the letters, it made their character development and relationship all the more appealing and had me invested.

Attie and Marisol were such great side characters, especially considering Iris seemed to lean towards being a lone wolf in her typical life. They created a support system for her when she needed it the most, and I grew to appreciate they way they looked out for her. Roman's tragic past and Iris's current tragedies somehow completed each other - while they suffered in their own ways, they were able to lean on one another and continue forward without losing themselves in their grief or struggles.

For fans of A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid, this young adult fantasy will take readers to the front lines of a war centuries in the making. I look forward to seeing what Ross has in store, especially after that cliffhanger. The historical fiction aspect of this story definitely adds a level of seriousness to the plot, and in combination with magical typewriters and a tense relationship in the making, Divine Rivals explores the consequences of love and war.

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And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga, #1) by Keirsten White Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I bought the third book in this series about six years ago and finally decided enough was enough and it was time for me to crack open this series. I was under the impression that this was a young adult series, however much to my surprise the main characters are children, and then as the book goes on, they age up into their teens. This was not something that I was looking for, and I am not a major fan of reading early teen books, but I was determined to see this through.

To be quite honest, this book put me into a reading slump - I was on a roll, and this book basically put my mind and comprehension skills on halt. I was really intrigued by the premise of this series, and the Ottoman Empire is something I have not tackled extensively when it came to historical fiction, so I certainly did not expect this turnout. That being said, this book made a complete 180 once it hit the 60% mark - I was drawn in and truly captivated. If the world building had moved at a quicker pace, I definitely think I would have enjoyed the story more. 

Lada is such an interesting and complex character - you see from the start that as a girl, she is undervalued and pushed aside in favor of of her younger brother, but as karma would have it, she is everything that they wanted her brother to be. As we watch their upbringing from childhood, it is evident that Lada's hostility toward her brother is due to her being cast aside from her father, and the cruelness she displays is an act of self preservation.

On the other hand, her brother, Radu, is sensitive, gentle, and finds comfort in his nurse rather than in the prospects of ruling. We see him go through a number of obstacles and hardships, mostly at the hands of Lada - while they may be indirectly, she is the common denominator when it comes to the harshness he has grown accustomed to. However, she does not put a stop to some of these punishments in order to protect him, for she knows that if they cannot get to her through her brother, than he is safe from their torment.

The introduction of Mehmed is the central plot line that essentially drives the largest wedge between Radu and Lada. While at first they all exist cohesively, as they grow older and more politics are thrown into place, Radu and Lada are forced to make a decision that essentially can be seen as betraying Mehmed in their eyes. This does not cause any true animosity between the three, but rather romance is the key factor than causes the siblings to truly go against one another. The tension between the Lada, Mehmed, and Radu was something I have not come across in a long time, and their dynamic was what kept me going with reading this book. The author gives us insight through both Lada and Radu's perspectives, and it is heart-wrenching to see them both go through so much emotional turmoil on top of the heavy political climate.

And I Darken redeemed itself after extensive world building, and I had my doubts on how this book would have me feeling towards completing the trilogy. The political aspect is intriguing and well-developed, and clearly has influence on the characters and their motives. White was able to turn things around and draw the reader in, and with how this first installment ended, I have to say that she has managed to keep me invested in the story.

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Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper, #2) by Kerri Maniscalco Review

This is a spoiler-free review! The version I am reading is an ARC -- any changes made for the final publication are not reflected in this review.

I am going to be completely honest and say that I did not immediately remember how Stalking Jack the Ripper actually ended -- I read the book about four years ago and from what I can remember, I had to power through. Hunting Prince Dracula basically picks up right where the first book left off and throws you right back into the thick of it with Audrey and Thomas, our little workplace romance lovers that cannot seem to do anything with each other besides send longing glances each other's way.

Maybe it is because I usually do not read historical fiction, but this book was dragging on like no tomorrow. Every fifty pages I was crossing my fingers hoping something exciting or unpredictable would happen, and every fifty pages I would be disappointed. It was either riddled with Audrey complaining about Thomas or having her sneak off into the night, only to find some horrific crime scene or potential clue to solving the murders, which always ended up with her being interrupted. It became very repetitive very quick into the book, and I had to push myself to finish this second installment -- the last fifty pages somewhat made up for it though.

I wish we were able to have chapters with a perspective from Thomas -- it would have balanced out the story much more effectively, and we would have been able to see his thought processes behind a lot of the things he did throughout the story. Instead, we were given just little bits of letters between him and Audrey, which basically told us the bare minimum of what we needed to know about his decisions. Additionally, Audrey's constant references to the Jack the Ripper case had me wanting to pull my hair out. I understand that the case left some uneasiness behind on her, but mentioning it every other page seemed a but much.

The side characters provided a bit of relief from the constant complaining that Audrey never seemed to cease -- especially Anastasia, who was an absolute riot. The other boys who came to the academy also added a little bit of fun, some much more than others. With murders occurring left and right, you would think the involvement of these characters would increase, but they remained on the sidelines for quite some time before any of them seemed to get a line or two of dialogue.

Maniscalco did a fantastic job on describing anywhere that Audrey and Thomas found themselves -- the scenery was heavily detailed and really felt like you were in Romania at Bran Castle. Readers will definitely be able to immerse themselves into the story and gain a real grasp on the environment, which is much different compared to the streets of London where Stalking Jack the Ripper took place. I am a sucker for all things gothic and vampiric, so I can say with much certainty that I liked this setting more than the setting in the first book.

There was something about this book that just was not clicking for me, which is a shame because the premise and scenery really sounded intriguing. Audrey and Thomas has me giggling one minute and then wanting to throw my book across the room the next. At first I was on the fence if I would be continuing on with the series, but now I feel like I will only move on to the next to see what happens with Audrey and Thomas, rather than for their next case.

You can add Hunting Prince Dracula on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

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