I work at the library on campus. While weekdays find the library filled to capacity with students typing, studying, and sometimes sleeping, weekends are relatively empty. If even one person walks in, its considered a good day. But since that does not happen often, or even when it does happen my assistance is rarely needed, I spend most of my weekend shifts reading. One novel in particular filled my weekend shift with so much excitement, tension, and heart-stopping moments that the five hours seemed to fly by in five minutes.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
- unfortunately I don't have a photo of this book, but it's easily Google-able
What Made Me Read This Book? The first thing I noticed about this book was the age of the main character. She's only 19. At the time, I was 18 and the thought of reading a book about someone so close in age excited me. Also, I saw the word faerie and felt personally invested (as a variation of my name means "Fairy Queen"). But the more I read the book preview, the more I realized that this would not be about pixie dust, magical wands, or anything Tinkerbell related in the slightest. But it was too late. I was already in too deep.
Feyre has been the sole provider for her family since the age of fourteen. The youngest of three daughters, Feyre took it upon herself to keep the Archeron family alive when her dad was too beaten to move and her sisters were too spoiled to help. One day while hunting in the woods, Feyre stumbles upon a beautiful wolf. A wolf with enough meat to feed her family for months and a pelt good enough to be traded for real gold. But she knows that it isn't just any wolf. Its a faerie. A magical being rumored to be a human's worst nightmare. With a split second decision, Feyre does something which will forever change the course of her life and the lives of everyone she knows. Suddenly, she is whisked away into a world that she does not belong in. A world more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. A world which she now has the responsibility of either saving, or leaving in devastation. Being nineteen should never be this hard.
My Rating: ✯✯✯✯.5 -I'll be honest. When it comes to books, I'm a little boujee (or bougie, if that's your preferred spelling). I like physical copies of books. To turn the pages and fold the corners and smell the new book smell. For this novel, not only did I make an exception, I may have done some things that may or may not be legal in order to obtain a copy of it. Let's just say that my actions were well worth it, but I will not go into further detail. I'll stop there.
Why? As this is only the first book in a 6-book series, I honestly cannot go into too much detail. But I will say that the book casts you under its spell from the opening line. Before you even realize it, you have been transported into a magical land, caring about people who are not real, crying for creatures that do not exist. Feyre is a strong lead. Though at 19 she cannot read or write, she compensates with an assortment of other skills, from hunting to quick-thinking. This novel is the definition of a page turner. Every "just one more page" turned into "just one more chapter". The heart-stopping pace, the breath-taking action, the mind-melting twists. I went in not knowing much and I am so grateful for that. Every time I thought I had it figured it out, I was proven wrong... really wrong. But that didn't stop me from making new guesses at every page. The characters are complex, damaged, and powerful. Everyone has their own intentions, but digging deeper to see why takes the reader on a journey that was never expected. Not one second is wasted when reading this book. Every person assigned to work a weekend shift deserves this novel to keep them entertained. A book this good is almost enough to make someone ask for more hours just to keep reading.
Favorite Quote: "I was loosened, a top whirling around and around, and I didn't know who I danced with or what I looked like, only that I had become the music and the fire and the night, and there was nothing that could slow me down."
Hint for next week: Pt. 2