The Night Market Review

Book Name: The Night Market

Author Name: Jesikah Sundin

Release Date: January 15,2024

Number of Pages: 511 pages

Review: 

Filena is known as a seer, one who can see other’s futures. Years ago, her and her brother Cian escaped their abusive father and started a new life under the ownership of the Lonan’s. Now Filena works at the West Tribe’s Night Market. There she tells the future for those who pay coin. Every Night Market before opening a fae comes and visits Filena: Rhylen Lonan, a Raven Folk who Filena has fallen in love with. But with West tribes rules they could never be together. Besides she has seen his future, and he is soon to meet his ‘true mate’. 
Little does Filena know that she is actually Rhylen’s true mate. He has known for a number of years and has courted her in secret. One night the Night Market catches fire and Rhylen saves Filena just in time. This set off a chain of events which leads Filena and Rhylen not only together but changing the way the raven folk have lived for centuries.   
     The Nigh Market is a beautiful romantic fantasy that kept me wanting to keep turning the page to see what would happen next. Whether from the fun interactions between characters, the swoon worthy romance between the two main characters, or the interesting world building, I couldn’t get enough of this story. 
     The characters are wonderful to read about. I loved how animal loving and imaginative Filena was. She thought up the best curses, even if she didn’t think she could cast them. Her interactions with her brother, Cian, were fun and sweet. They taunt each other and are they’re for the other when needed most. I would have loved more of Filena and Glenna interacting as they were supposed to be the best of friends. Just seemed it more of Glenna with Cian than Filena page wise. 
     The romance! Oh! The romance. I was squealing so much though the romance in this book. Filena and Rhylen are my new favorite couple. The way Rhylen would do anything for Filena is beautiful to read. I also loved how the two would not fall into the trope of getting angry with the other for holding a secret. They thought through them logically. The treasure between them being buttons is so cute. If I could get another book of just them doing things together, I would be so happy! 
    The world building in this is interesting. I liked how the raven folk live and love as a family. The class system and traditions were interesting to read about, and I wish the book went into more detail. I also liked the mentions of Seren, the city present in the pervious novel Bound by Ravens. But luckily you don’t need to have read it to understand this story at all. But if you have fun finding Easter eggs though out the story. 
In closing the Night Market is a great book with hilarious characters and a swoon worthy romance. So, if you like great character interactions, beautiful romantic scenes, great world building, and racoons who love to steal gloves, the Night Market is the read for you. I give this book a four out of five!

Song like This Book: At All Cost (Demo) By Benjamin Rice and Julia Micheals

 The Wizard of Oz Book Review

Book Name: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Author Name: L. Frank Baum

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: May 17, 1900

Page Number: 154 Pages

Artist Name: W.W. Denslow

Review:

    One moment she’s at home in Kansas, the next she is in the beautiful land of Oz! The magical country is full of beauty and magic, but all Dorothy wants to do is go back home to her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. So, with the blessing of the Good Witch of the North, Dorothy sets out on a journey to the Emerald City. Along the way, she meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. Each wants something and all hope the Great Wizard of Oz can give it to them; the Scarecrow's brains, the Tin Man a heart, and the Cowardly Lion's courage. Along the way, they must face horrible beasts, giant chasms, and the deadly poppy fields. Finally, they make it to the Emerald City, but will the Wizard grant them each their wish?

    The Wonderful Wizard of Oz might only be 154 pages, but it has so much more happening in those pages than was shown in the 1939 film. Such as how Glinda the Good Witch of the South does not appear at the Emerald City after the wizard leaves, Dorothy and her friends travel to her kingdom in the South, and the winged monkeys are not under the complete control of the Wicked Witch of the West; they are cursed to a golden cap and once they are given 3 commands, they are free. The only well-known difference between the book and the film is the magic shoes Dorothy wears. In the book, the shoes are silver, while in the movie they are ruby. Why? To show off the stunning effect of technicolor! So, to take full advantage of this they decided to make the shoes ruby red.

    The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a fun and cute book. All the events not in the 1939 movie make this worth reading alone, as it feels almost like an entirely different story. The imagination in creating this lore is interesting to read, even if it is simplistic because it is aimed at a young audience. Like how the Scarecrow tells the story of how he was created and the reason why he wants brains. The author Baum intended this to be a fairy tale for children growing up in the 1900s and I believe he succeeded.

    The main problem I had with this book was the constant repeat of dialogue by the characters. Every time an obstacle gets in the way of Dorothy and her friends, they each have to say if they don’t find a way through they will not get what they wish for. It gets on one's nerves very quickly and I found myself skipping these parts toward the end. Also, since this was written in 1900 there is language used in this book that has a different meaning today. All in all, I feel this is a sweet and short book, perfect for anyone wanting a quick read. I give The Wonderful Wizard of Oz a four out of five!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Song Like This Book:

Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson

 The Little Mermaid: Against the Tide Book Review

Book Name: The Little Mermaid: Against the Tide

Author Name: J. Elle

Genre: Fantasy/Mystery

Release Date: April 11,2023

Page Number: 320 Pages

Review:

    Ariel is so excited; she’s about to be crowned Protector of her own region of the great sea! Her six other sisters already rule their own sections of the sea as Protectors. But sadly, they seem so busy with their duties that they never get together and the times they do they are always fighting. When Ariel finds out her father, King Triton, is able to arrange for her sisters to attend her Protector’s ceremony, she is determined to fix the sisters’ relationships.

    The night before the Protector’s ceremony Ariel convinces her sisters to accompany her to their mother’s memorial. The sea queen passed when Ariel was a little girl, making her remember very little of her. Her sisters on the other hand swap fun tales of times spent with their mother, finally starting to mend their sisterly bonds. Ariel Is thrilled her plan worked and hopes the family can start moving forward together.

    But the next day tragedy strikes! Ariel’s oldest sister, Mala, Is kidnapped right before Ariel’s Protector ceremony! Chaos ensues with merfolk, sea creatures, and sea monsters turning on each other. The note Found in Mala’s bedroom does not help matters. It reads: King Triton must give up the throne in exchange for Mala, or else!  It does not help that a growing group of the sea want a new ruler. With the help of her sister Perla, Ariel sets out to find Mala before it’s too late.

    This was a fun companion book to the live-action Little Mermaid by Disney. Well, more of a prequel really. This book really is about grief and holding it in. We read how each member of Ariel’s family suffered from the passing of her mother and learn the different ways they tried but failed to manage it. For example, Ariel’s sister Tamika, who was closest to Ariel when she was young, shut herself away for years and made very little contact with the outside world. Or how Ariel realizes she never really showed sadness for her mother, just tried to stay happy and upbeat for other's benefit. I liked how Ariel was able to reach and pull each of her family members out to properly grieve. She is also very determined, not giving up on the quest to find Mala no matter how little clues she has.

    I find it interesting and a bit disappointing that the author decided to have a lot of things iconic to Ariel first shown in this book. It only takes place a little before the movie, but Ariel is not friends with Flounder. In fact, they do not meet until one-third into the story. Also, Ariel is not really interested in human things, but it does grow as the book progresses. She finds her hidden grotto in this book as well. I just feel some of these points should have been established beforehand, like having Flounder and Ariel already friends.

    Overall, I think this is a good book, especially if you are a fan of the new Disney live-action Little Mermaid and want to enjoy more adventures with this version of Ariel. Also, I feel it is a great way to explore grief and the different ways people deal with it. I give The Little Mermaid: Against the Tide a four out of five and look forward to reading more books written by J. Elle.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Song Like This Book: 

Lend Me Your Voice By Kylie McNeil

 Golden Book Review

Book Name: Golden

Author Name: Cameron Dokey

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: February 28, 2006

Page Number: 179 pages

Review:

    We all know how the fairy tale goes: “Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair!”. But this Rapunzel has no hair at all. Her head is as bald as an egg. Due to this her mother called her a monster and wanted nothing to do with her. So, a sorceress named Melisande raises Rapunzel for the next sixteen years. But Melisande has a secret, she has another daughter named Rue. Sadly, Rue is trapped in a tower and the only hope of freedom lies with Rapunzel.  Can the two girls work together to break Rue out or with their constant fighting doom them both.

    In my opinion, this book is much better than the last book I read by the author Cameron Dokey, Before Midnight. Maybe it is because the story of Rapunzel is a bit simpler than Cinderella, having to add lots more to make a full-fledged narrative like Disney’s Tangled. Think about it. Most of Disney’s Cinderella follows the original story fatefully: Evil stepmother, a big ball, the prince and Cinderella fall in love, She runs away at midnight, and her shoe proves she is the one! What does Disney’s Tangled and the original tale have in common? Both have a girl in a tower with super long hair and her love interest says, “Let down your hair!”. Everything else in the movie is made up by Disney.

    Golden’s version of Rapunzel is a fun, snarky character. I really enjoyed her development as she became able to see into other’s hearts just like her caretaker, Melisande. I also love her comebacks to other characters and her interactions with Rue. The two girls' conversations really felt like two sisters talking. It might be mean at first, but you can tell that deep down they want to work together. Rapunzel’s romantic relationship with a boy named Harry is a bit better than any of the romances in Before Midnight as the two characters have written to have known each other for three to four years before Harry kisses Rapunzel. The two also thought the other like someone else was cute to read.

    The plan to set Rue free from the tower is also a good read and ties the story back to the original fairy tale. The ending feels rushed though and given the book is only 179 pages it makes sense. I feel these books would do better with more pages. All in all, I feel this book is a nice, quick retelling of the fairy tale Rapunzel and is an interesting take on the tale even though it could have been better executed at points. I give Golden a three out of five.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐✰✰

Song like this Book:

I Don’t Know My Name by Grace VanderWaal

 Beauty and the Blade Book Review

Book Name: Beauty and the Blade

Author Name: S.C. Grayson

Genre: Romance/Fantasy

Release Date: January 26, 2023

Page Number: 277 pages

Review:

    Contessa is marrying, but not for love. The man she is engaged to Nathanial Woodrow, also known as the Beast, killed her mother. Her mother was found dead with three slash marks on her face, a sign of Nathanial’s gang the Lions. Now Contessa can bring him to justice. But as She learns more about her new husband, his gang, and a group of magical people known as the Talented, Contessa begins to question everything she knows.

    This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and a great one at that. Contessa is a compelling character, being both cunning and quick-thinking. Her growth as a character is well executed, first doing things others expect of her, mostly her father, then slowly discovering what she wants to do in life for herself. It is also cool to see the different skills she possesses like lock picking for example. I think she is a great character for the reader to get into this world.

    Nathanial is at first brooding but then turns into a cinnamon roll the more Contessa gets to know him. His interactions with her are super sweet and I wished there were more. One of my favorites is when they are leaving the warehouse and must be close together in the small space leading back to Nathanial’s house. Contessa touches his face, and he closes his eyes, barely breathing. I was a puddle on the floor!

    The side characters are fun as well. Nathanial’s second in command, Kristoff, provides tons of laughs for the reader and his romance with Gregor is cute. Rhosyn is an interesting character, and I wished the author had given her more page time, especially her interactions with both Contessa and Nathanial. I love her teasing the two about their feelings for each other, like her having a bet with Kristoff for when they would get together. I also wish Contessa’s maid Julia got some more page time as well.

    Some negatives. The background story about the country’s sick king and two princes comes up a lot but gets resolved way too quickly at the end. The Author could easily have saved it for a sequel plot. Also bringing up the rival gangs more and some descriptions of scenery would help flesh the world out a bit. Other than that, I think this is a great first book in the Talented series and I cannot wait to read more about these characters. I give Beauty and the Blade a four out of five. 

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Song Like This Book:

Arms by Christina Perri

 Shatter Me Book Review

Book Name: Shatter Me

Author Name: Tahereh Mafi

Genre: Dystopian/Romance

Release Date: November 15, 2011

Page Number:  338 pages

Review:

Juliette has been in the same room for 264 days with no contact from anyone. The room is in an asylum and is believed to be the only place to keep her from harming anyone. You see if Juliette touches someone even slightly, the person will feel horrible pain. If touched long enough, the person will die. She is a monster.

Then on day 265 someone arrives in her room, a young man named Adam. Juliette is terrified at first. What if he is there to kill her? What if he touches her? Is he even real? Has she gone insane? Adam's arrival is only just the beginning, as Juliette is taken by a group of soldiers working for an organization called the Reestablishment and given a choice by the soldier's leader Warner: Work for him as a weapon or die! With little choice, Juliette goes with Warner and discovers how much the world has changed since her absence. The world is a wasteland, and the population lives in fear of the Reestablishment. Juliette’s fate is to be a weapon.

But hope might not be lost, for Adam is one of Warner’s soldiers. He secretly hates the Reestablishment and has a plan to escape with Juliette. She must play along with Warner’s whims until there is an opportunity to put the plan into action. Will Juliette and Adam escape? Where will they go?

This book is set in the first person of the main character Juliette. We get to read her thoughts, and feelings, and see the world through her eyes. There are lots of books in first person as well but Shatter Me has more parts dedicated to the main character’s inner self. We read how lost and lonely she feels, wanting nothing more than someone to touch her, to be around her without fear. She has negative thoughts that are then scratched out as the story goes. She wonders if she’s gone insane. She also will go on long paragraphs about the feelings and thoughts going through her head, only to be brought into the present and realize she’s missed what someone has said.

I am a fan of the writing style for the most part but will admit it would get a bit tiring at times. I also feel that Juliette and Adam’s romance is bad. It is an instant love-type romance but does make sense as Adam for some reason is the only one that can touch Juliette without being hurt by her powers. So naturally Juliette would want him all the time, he’s giving her something she has never had. But I still do not like the pairing too much.

Warner is a good first-book villain, with his actions and obsession with Juliette being horrible and a bit creepy at the same time. I did become curious every time he made an appearance, wondering what he would do next. I wonder what the author will do with him in the next book.

Adam on the other hand was just bland in my opinion. But him being the straight guy to Kenji’s antics was fun. Regarding Kenji, I hope he gets more page time in the rest of the series as his action had me laughing. A great way to set off the bleakness of the rest of the book. Though the romance is much to be desired, I feel this is a good first book in a promising series. I look forward to reading the rest this year. I give Shatter Me a four out of five rating.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Song Like This Book: 

Beautiful Ghosts by Taylor Swift

 Breaking Time Book Review

Book Name: Breaking Time

Author Name: Sasha Alsberg

Genre: modern fantasy

Release Date: June 14, 2022

Number in Series: Book 1 of 2

Page Number: 352 pages

Review:

    Ever wondered what the story of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon would be like if the roles were reversed? Then look no further than Breaking Time by Sasha Alsberg. Breaking Time follows two characters: Callum and Klara. Callum is a Scotsman from the 1500s who gets flung forward in time to 2022 after trying to save his best friend Thomas from a mysterious killer. Klara is a newly graduated high schooler living in Scotland who is trying to figure out a way to tell her dad she’s not going to college. To clear her head, she takes a drive and accidentally hits someone with her car. The person just happens to be Callum.

    After helping him get on his feet, Klara and Callum get thrust into an earth-shattering event where Klara is the key to saving the world. Turns out she has the power of the Scottish goddess of time, Arianrhod, in her and a demigod wants to steal her power. Now it's up to Klara and Callum to keep Klara alive or face the world ending.

    Breaking Time has some fun, interesting parts, but the bad sadly outweighs them. For the good, I like the person-out-of-time trope. It's fun to see Callum describe modern technology in his chapters, like calling cell phones strange lightboxes. I also love reading about the folklore of Scotland given in the book. Even though fantasy is over-saturated by European-based lore, it’s mostly countries like England or Germany. Places like Scotland are not nearly used as much, so seeing it in this book is a bit refreshing.

    Now for the bad. This book has instant love for the two main characters. Klara’s chapters have her explaining a strong draw to Callum and constantly thinking about him when they're not together. Callum thinks Klara is the most amazing and beautiful woman he’s ever seen. They barely interact in the four to five days the story takes place and their madly in love with each other. And people talk bad about romances in Disney movies… It also doesn’t help that the leading man is not too fleshed out.

    Also, the story does not seem to have any urgency. The world will end if Klara is killed before the Scottish holiday Samhain, which is only a few days away in the book and the characters are backtracking, hanging out in pubs, and staying at Klara’s grandmother’s house even though the woman tells the main characters they need to leave now! Let’s just talk about how Klara is the chosen one and go down memory lane some more!

    Lastly, I feel the villain did not show up as much as was needed. He appears about three times throughout the 345 pages and because of this I felt he was not as big of a threat as the author thought. In fact, I almost forgot about him at times. Hopefully, this can be fixed in the sequel. Yes, this book is the first in a duology. I am not sure I will be picking the second book up when it comes out. My overall rating for Braking Time is three out of five stars.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐✰✰

Song Like This Book: 

At the Beginning sung by Donna Lewis and Richard Marx

Destroy Me Book Review

 Destroy Me Book Review

Book Name: Destroy Me

Author Name: Tahereh Mafi

Genre: Dystopia/novella

Release Date: October 2, 2012

Number in Series: 1.5 of 6

Number of Pages: 111 pages

Review:

    In the novella Destroy Me, We take a break from Juliette’s story to see the aftermath of her and Adam’s escape from the Reestablishment from none other than Warner’s eyes. She not only shot him, crippling his arm but stole his heart. Now Warner must retrieve Juliette and Adam, all the while the Supreme Commander of the Reestablishment has come to personally see that Warner does not fail. It does not help that the Supreme Commander is also his father.

    This is an excellent novella that explores the villain of the last book, Shatter Me. Through this small story, we read that Warner’s life is not what both Juliette and the reader were made to believe as it is just as bleak as other characters. We also see that Warner is in love with Juliette, stating he is fascinated by her story and will. He tries to hide this from everyone, wanting them to think he only wants to use her as a weapon. We also see his relationship with his father who treats Warner awfully.

    It was interesting to see the villains from one of the members’ points of view. It also sets up the main villain for the series in the Supreme Commander but perhaps a bit too early. Of course, one would consider that the author might not have envisioned the sequel to the last six books and 5 novellas when writing this one. But I feel that a villain like this needs more build-up.

    Then there is Warner, who I see in a bit of a better light by the end of this novella. It seems the character will change sides in the future and I am curious to see how his story will unfold in the next installment. In conclusion, I give Destroy Me a four out of five.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Song Like This Book: 

Sally’s Song by Catherine O’Hara

 Ms. Marvel: Vol1 No Normal Book Review

Book name: Ms. Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal

Author name: G. Willow Wilson

Genre: Superhero comics

Release Date: October 15, 2014

Number in Series: 1 of 5

Number of Pages: 120 pages

Review:

    In 2014 a new Superhero burst into the scene. A huge fan of The Avengers, especially Captain Marvel, Kamala Khan Just wants to be a normal girl from New Jersey. She wants to go to parties and eat meat, but her strict Muslim parents have other plans. Having enough, Kamala sneaks out to go to a party being held by some of the popular kids at school. While there a strange mist envelopes the clearing the party is being held. Feeling uneasy, Kamala decides to go back home, but begins to feel woozy and passes out. When she wakes up she’s not Kamala anymore, but Carol Danvers’s Ms. Marvel! What follows is Kamala discovering her new powers and becoming the Superhero Ms. Marvel in Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal!

     Kamala Is a fun character to read about. She’s just a regular not so popular teen wanting more out of life. It’s a great idea to have someone who was always a fan of something suddenly become part of that world. I really liked the part where Kamala was writing an Avengers fan fiction and her mother had no idea what she was talking about. I also love how throughout the first part of this graphic novel she feels people like her are not heroes but realizes, yes, she can be. I also like how parts of her costume come from parts of her religion. The scarf she wears in her hero identity is seen early in the graphic novel as the Hijab she wears to the mosque and the top half of her hero costume is a burkini.

    The only real problem I have with the graphic novel is the art. The cover had me thinking the art was going to match it, but not only does it not match, in fact, the art is very amateur at best and hard to look at sometimes. Overall, I give Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal four out of five stars. I am looking forward to reading more of Ms. Marvel's adventures as a new Superhero in the Marvel universe!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Song like this Book: 

Live Your Story sung by Tina Parol

 The Love Hypothesis Book Review

Book Name: The Love Hypothesis

Author Name: Ali Hazelwood

Genre: Comedy/Romance

Release Date: September 14, 2021

Number in Series: Standalone

Number of Pages: 356 pages

Review:

    What if you told your friend you were in a romantic relationship so she would not feel bad about dating your ex? What if You kissed a random guy from your work, making your friend think he is the person you are in a romantic relationship with? What if you and the guy you kissed agree to a fake date to keep up your charade? Well, that’s just what is happening to Olive Smith. Now she must sell being in a fake relationship with Adam Carlsen, who is known by everyone as a real mean guy. But he is not to her, in fact, he is super nice and supportive. The more they talk and spend time together the more Olive falls for Adam.

    This is a fun book with great characters. I love reading Olive’s reactions to things and her fears, which I find myself relating to at times. I love how she brings up tropes that happen in romantic comedies, that sometimes happen and sometimes do not in the story. Her interactions with Adam are super cute and I had to suppress many squeals as I read. My favorite is early on in the book where they discuss how everyone else sees Adam and he has never really noticed.

     Adam is sadly just a generic good guy to swoon over in this book. I wish there was more from his side of the story but I understand that the author wanted to keep his feelings for Olive more of a secret. But there easily could be so many more squeal-worthy moments if the author wrote some parts from his perspective. I also wish his character would be fleshed out some more.

     The side character is so fun in this book and I love how the author would use their conversations to progress the plot. For example, Olive and her friends talk about why she should be wearing sunscreen which leads to an awkward but silly moment with her and Adam. Olive’s friend's fighting also leads to a revelation later in the book I will not spoil, but I will say it was great writing on the author’s part.

     A few things to note about this book is that it takes place in the scientific community, which I think is a great background for the story. If you are worried there might be some scientific stuff you would not understand, do not be. The scientific stuff is just in the background and only a very small part is in the plot. The other thing of note is that there are some spicy scenes in this story that can easily be skipped. If Spice is not up your alley then I would recommend skipping chapters 16 and 17. Other than that you should be good. to wrap up I give the Love Hypothesis a four out of five!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐✰

Song Like This Book: 

Never Knew I Needed by Ne-Yo

 Before Midnight Book Review

Book Name: Before Midnight

Author Name: Cameron Dokey

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Release Date: March 1, 2007

Number in Series: Standalone

Number of Pages: 193 pages

Review:

    Cendrillion was born the night her mother died and her father wants nothing to do with her. Instead, he leaves to join the king’s court, but not before leaving another child behind at his home, a boy named Raoul. The two children are raised by the household servants and have lived without a word from Cendrillion’s father for sixteen years. Then one fall day, a message arrives, stating that Cendrillion’s father has remarried and her new stepmother and two stepsisters appear not too long after. At first, they do not know Cendrillion’s true heritage, believing her to be just another servant. But things finally come to light just as a grand ball is announced. Unknown to Cendrillion and Raoul, this ball will change their lives forever.

    I feel this is a very poor adaptation of the original Cinderella by Charles Perrault so I do not care too much about spoiling it. You have been warned!!!!

    There is too much focus on Cendrillion’s life before and right after her stepmother and stepsisters come into her life, leaving very little time for the ball aspect of the tale and even less time for the love stories. Cendrillion is mostly okay with her role in life, and she does not even bring up who she is to her stepmother for months. Her identity is only revealed because her friend Raoul saves her from being sent away by telling her stepmother after him, Cendrillion, and one of her stepsisters have a falling out. Also, out of all the stepfamily, only one is mean to Cendrillion, Anastasia, whose heel turns the second she finds out Cendrillion is her stepsister.

     Then there is the romance. Ugh, the romance! Nothing but love at first sight for all couples involved. At least they have Raoul fall in love with one of the stepsisters, not with Cendrillion as I thought. Incredible considering the plot twist That Raoul is the long-lost twin brother of the prince I first believed it would be Raoul and Cendrillion together by the end. But no, he falls head over heels for Anastasia after saving her from being trampled by a horse. Cendrillion’s other stepsister, Amile, just comes out and says she likes this soldier about eighty percent into the book. Those two characters had only one scene together by that point! 

    Then there is Cendrillion and her love interest, Prince Pascal. He is not mentioned until about seventy percent into the book. He sees her at the ball briefly, only for Raoul to brag in and everyone freaks out at the revelation the two are twin brothers. Prince Pascal then meets Cendrillion right before midnight back in the ballroom and they share a dance, which leads to a kiss. Yes, the author followed that part from the Disney version of Cinderella. One big difference is Disney’s Cinderella in barely an hour while a book can be as long as the author wants and can have so much more happen. Instead, the author wanted to spend eighty percent of the 193 pages on Cendrillion’s life before the ball and then rush the rest. This book is not good at all, and I give Before Midnight two out of five stars.

Rating:

    ⭐⭐✰✰✰

A Song Like This Book:

Aeon by Nick Murray and Featuring Juliet Lyons