By Lauren Kate.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
“What if the person you were meant to be with could never be yours?”
I've had this book on my shelf for years, carrying it with me through three different house moves, and I finally got the chance to sit down and read it. When I first bought the book, I was very much into the YA genre, so I had to remind myself that my reading preferences have evolved over the years. This made the reading experience feel different from what it might have been when I first intended to dive into it.
Lucinda Price is a young woman plagued by shadows, though she doesn’t understand why. After a mysterious fire, she finds herself at Sword & Cross, a reform school for troubled teens and young adults. There, she encounters an array of intriguing characters, all of whom add layers of complexity to the story. While the premise of the novel is captivating, my feelings about the characters, particularly Lucinda, were mixed.
Lucinda, or "Luce," as she is often called, felt somewhat underdeveloped. While not entirely unlikeable, she lacked the depth and strength that could have made her more compelling as a protagonist. Her obsessive infatuation with Daniel Grigori, another central character, bordered on uncomfortable, making it difficult to fully root for her.
Daniel Grigori, on the other hand, exudes mystery, growing more interesting as the story unfolds. The antagonist, Cameron, was equally intriguing, playing the role of villain with a charisma that made him oddly likeable.
The writing itself is solid, with a good balance of suspense and character development. However, the primary issue lies in the pacing of the mystery. While the book hints at deeper revelations, it ultimately leaves readers with more questions than answers. This deliberate withholding of information might be setting up for the sequel, but it also left me feeling slightly frustrated and underwhelmed by the lack of resolution.
Though I liked many of the characters, I struggled to fully invest in the world or the overarching fantasy elements. The final chapters felt rushed, with a lot of information presented in quick succession, which made the conclusion somewhat overwhelming.
In hindsight, I wish I had read this book when I first purchased it, as I might have appreciated it more at that time. Unfortunately, after finishing it, I don't feel particularly compelled to continue with the rest of the series. While the premise had promise, it didn’t engage me enough to invest in the remaining books.
Interestingly, during my research for this review, I discovered that there was a film adaptation made in 2016, as well as a new TV series released in 2024. I may explore those adaptations out of curiosity, but as for the book series itself, I don’t feel inclined to read further.
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