Book #80 of 2022: Book of Night by Holly Black This urban fantasy story is generally fine, and it closes on a stronger note than it begins (albeit in a way that seems it’s likely meant as the launch to a series, rather than the standalone work it’s been marketed as). But it all feels …
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Book #257 of 2021: The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black This standalone YA fantasy novel hasn’t completely won me over, but I like it a lot more than author Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince, which has a somewhat similar premise of fairyland intrigue. (The central romance here, for instance, strikes me as …
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Book #155 of 2021: Black Heart by Holly Black (The Curse Workers #3) By finally telling a story that doesn’t hinge on the magical manipulation of memory and emotion, this third entry is the least problematic of its YA urban fantasy trilogy. Unfortunately, it’s also the most boring, with no clear motivation or stakes driving …
Book #142 of 2021: Red Glove by Holly Black (The Curse Workers #2) I’m still not comfortable with the ethical implications of the memory and emotion manipulation magic in the Curse Workers setting, but I like how this sequel finds the hero himself grappling with the problematic nature of his family’s abilities as well. At …
Book #114 of 2021: White Cat by Holly Black (The Curse Workers #1) I’ve enjoyed this fantasy novel enough to continue on to the rest of the trilogy, but I have some real issues with the memory and emotion manipulation magic that populates the story. The protagonist at least somewhat recognizes how problematic it is, …
Book #27 of 2021: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black A dark and violent YA tale, predicated on the idea that although a vampire’s first bite infects the victim with an all-consuming thirst for blood, they don’t turn fully undead until they finally give in and feed on another human in turn. There’s …
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Book #166 of 2018: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air #1) Although I like the protagonist and some of the other female characters, I’m pretty lukewarm on this book as a whole. The plot has long periods of inaction and a few moments that seem to come out of nowhere, …
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Book #253 of 2017: My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins This collection of holiday love stories from twelve YA writers makes for some cute seasonal fun. “It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown” by editor Stephanie Perkins was the clear highlight for me, but Holly Black’s “Krampuslauf,” Laini Taylor’s …
Book #231 of 2017: The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles #1) This was cute, but very short and way below my preferred reading level. I felt like I hardly got a chance to know the characters before the book came to a rather sudden end. I could see myself …
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