The Reading Shelf

This book had some of the same problems I found in the first installment, but I was often too interested in the story and most of the characters to notice them. I’m definitely looking forward to the third book in the series, which is sure to be just as painful as this book could be.

Allen is definitely a new favorite author. I had a good feeling about her after loving her debut, but it’s always great when you read a second book and still love that author’s writing as much as the first time around. I’m excited for whatever Allen comes up with in the future.

Hi! I just saw your tumblr post about Kelley Armstrong's Sea of Shadows (looks like the review was from last year since that's when the first book came out) and I noticed that you liked her other YA books. There are 2 e-books out for the DP/DR series - Darkest Powers Tales (a collection of short stories and a novella) and Atoning (a novella with illustrations). Also those YA series are set in her Women of the Otherworld series - 13 complete novels, a handful of novellas, and more short stories.

Even though I didn’t love this book as much as Armstrong’s other books, it reminded me a lot of them, especially in one way: I know that there were some flaws, and that not everyone might like this book as much as I did, but I was enjoying myself so much while reading it that I honestly didn’t care. And sometimes you just need those kinds of books in your life, don’t you?

It wasn’t perfect, but I was really happy with it anyway. I want to read a lot more magical realism as result, especially more Sarah Addison Allen books. As soon as I finished it, I went on Goodreads and added some of her books, and I can only hope they go as well as this book did for me.

This book wasn’t on my radar at all until I saw a glowing review of it on A Reader of Fiction. The fact that it was apparently sex-positive and the summary intrigued me rocketed this book to my “books I kind of want right now” list, and I am so glad that I took a chance on it and bought it because I think it’s definitely a new favorite.

It sounds like I really enjoyed this book – and I really did – but the main drawback was that I didn’t love it to the levels that most people did, so it almost seemed like I didn’t like it as much as I did. Regardless, I’m quite looking forward to whatever Becky Albertalli writes in the future.