GRIM LOVELIES
Series: Grim Lovelies #1
Source: Raincoast Books
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 2, 2018
Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:
Summary:
Seventeen-year-old Anouk envies the human world, where people known as Pretties lavish themselves in fast cars, high fashion, and have the freedom to fall in love. But Anouk can never have those things, because she is not really human. Enchanted from animal to human girl and forbidden to venture beyond her familiar Parisian prison, Anouk is a Beastie: destined for a life surrounded by dust bunnies and cinders serving Mada Vittora, the evil witch who spelled her into existence. That is, until one day she finds her mistress murdered in a pool of blood—and Anouk is accused of the crime.
Now, the world she always dreamed of is rife with danger. Pursued through Paris by the underground magical society known as the Haute, Anouk and her fellow Beasties only have three days to find the real killer before the spell keeping them human fades away. If they fail, they will lose the only lives they’ve ever known…but if they succeed, they could be more powerful than anyone ever bargained for.
From New York Times bestselling author Megan Shepherd, Grim Lovelies is an epic and glittering YA fantasy. Prepare to be spellbound by the world of Grim Lovelies, where secrets have been long buried, friends can become enemies, and everything—especially humanity—comes at a price.
Amazon | Chapters | TBD
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Raincoast Books and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.
I liked a lot of this one - it was really interesting, kept my attention, and had a really cool magic system. I thought it was a little too long in certain areas, but I loved the way the characters developed and especially the ending! There are some review out there talking about the "bury your gays" trope, but the character isn't explicitly dead on the page so I am choosing to believe they are alive until actually stated otherwise.
Because of this, the diversity rating of this one is low. Having a character that is coded gay and potentially dead? Not the best representation. And there were some interesting aspects of the difference in socio-economics and how magic added into wealth, but it wasn't enough to make up for the lack of diversity in the characters.
Shepherd's writing is really strong, though. I felt like I was in Paris the entire time and I could see the setting in my head as the characters were moving around. I loved the descriptions and intricate details that were provided to us. I got through this one really quickly because of how much I enjoyed the description of the setting.
I liked Anouk more as the story went on and I thought she became a stronger character. I like that she wasn't "perfect" or a "fighter" or anything extremely "special" right from the beginning. I liked that it took her the course of the novel (and probably even #2 as well!) to become a Leading Lady. That feels more authentic than immediately stepping into the role of Leader.
I could have done without the romance though, but overall I cannot wait to see where this one is going next! I am such a fan of the idea that there is more to life after magic happens to people and seeing how it affects them. I thought this was a more exciting version of a lot of very similar books and am hopeful for book 2!
I liked a lot of this one - it was really interesting, kept my attention, and had a really cool magic system. I thought it was a little too long in certain areas, but I loved the way the characters developed and especially the ending! There are some review out there talking about the "bury your gays" trope, but the character isn't explicitly dead on the page so I am choosing to believe they are alive until actually stated otherwise.
Because of this, the diversity rating of this one is low. Having a character that is coded gay and potentially dead? Not the best representation. And there were some interesting aspects of the difference in socio-economics and how magic added into wealth, but it wasn't enough to make up for the lack of diversity in the characters.
Shepherd's writing is really strong, though. I felt like I was in Paris the entire time and I could see the setting in my head as the characters were moving around. I loved the descriptions and intricate details that were provided to us. I got through this one really quickly because of how much I enjoyed the description of the setting.
I liked Anouk more as the story went on and I thought she became a stronger character. I like that she wasn't "perfect" or a "fighter" or anything extremely "special" right from the beginning. I liked that it took her the course of the novel (and probably even #2 as well!) to become a Leading Lady. That feels more authentic than immediately stepping into the role of Leader.
I could have done without the romance though, but overall I cannot wait to see where this one is going next! I am such a fan of the idea that there is more to life after magic happens to people and seeing how it affects them. I thought this was a more exciting version of a lot of very similar books and am hopeful for book 2!
Definitely agree on the romance being take it or leave it. I also was happy with Anouk's character not being anything out of the ordinary in the beginning. I thought this was really fun as well, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Great review!
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