Reviews with content warning for Classism - Within These Wicked Walls

It was a quick and engaging read. Sometimes maybe too quick; the romance went a little fast for me. I think that might be typical of YA, though. I did like how the romance was written, but it was a little hard to buy that it all happened over the course of a few days.

The atmosphere of the ice cold house in the middle of the desert was perfectly creepy. But here I also felt like the horror would have benefited from a little more time to breathe. I guess I like my gothic horror with a little less action and a little more dread. I did love the way warding off the Evil Eye worked with the crafting of amulets, magic as a precise & complex skill.

Overall it was a great book, just a little rushed at times for my taste. It works well as a Jane Eyre retelling, but it also stands on its own. I recommend it if you like YA fantasy and/or romance and gothic horror.

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onemamareads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Read my full review here: https://onemamassummer.weebly.com/book-reviews/within-these-wicked-walls

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amandadevoursbooks's review

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adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I loved the setting. I loved the description of Ethiopia and Ethiopian culture. The mystism and rituals involved with being a debterra were intriguing. The white staff refusing to take it seriously was apt.

The story was a quick, thrilling read. The relationships are messy. The cross the tracks, employee/employer relationship was what I expect from YA. The silly banter for the ages of the characters

The resolution of the child abuse story arc

is decidedly un-Western, and it will likely make some people, myself included, uncomfortable.

The relationship

while riveting, reinforces the damaging ideas that there's only one person who you can truly love, that relationships should be filled with arguments, that some amount of physical abuse is expected and tolerated from women to men, and that long term relationships are great when forged in the fire of crisis.

I'd recommend reading this book with a critical eye and enjoying the story for what it is: a thrilling novel with a love story.

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