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anita04's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
brookemaarie's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
cdgioino's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
0.25
DNF .:(
vrrrmm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kkenna7's review against another edition
Pls quit puking words at my holly I’m just a girl
jessisamess's review
This book is actually embarrassingly written that there were times I had to stop reading to recover from a line. Sentences like “A Black woman with on-point eyeliner game sat outside the student center, reading a feminist translation of Beowulf” just made me cringe, and there are so many more like this in only the first half of the book. The first few sentences of the book literally defeat the old saying “show don’t tell”. I hardly ever DNF books, but this just was not it for me. I will say that the world building is quite interesting, and the idea of a world where shadows are a commodity is so unique. But, the author just kind of throws all of these made up terms at you, hardly ever explains what they mean and expects you to roll with it. But I did enjoy the flashback chapters more and wish the story kind of started from there. :(
ashction's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a delightful, slow-burn urban fantasy mystery from Holly Black. There is no doubt this is a Holly Black story, and it's one that builds and builds until it crescendos into an ending you can't quite predict.
In Book of Night, we enter a world where shadows can become living parts of yourself, a superpower of sorts that naturally leads to manipulation and power. Within this world we meet Charlie Hall, a former con artist trying to start anew. She does odd jobs that don't compare to the cons she used to run, and bartends at night. Living with her sister, who desperately wants a powerful shadow of her own, and her secretive boyfriend, Vince, Charlie thinks that things are at least under control if not even stable. But when a sinister figure from her past reemerges, seeking a book that suddenly everyone around her has connections to, her life is thrown into chaos. Even worse when her own shadow starts seeming off, and she finds herself in a web of dark family history, secrets, and dozens of powerful people and their shadows who would stop at nothing to end her life.
I've always enjoyed Holly's urban fantasy, and this story is another excellent entry in her work thus far. She does a fantastic job of creating a fantasy world within ours that feels tangible, and one that I don't find myself tripping over details to understand. Charlie isn't the easiest character - and, at times, I pondered this story from the lens of another prominent character - but she's the right person to tell the story and explore this mystery. Charlie finds herself in the midst of the mystery before she can even realize it, and she ends up following both by force and coincidence. There are so many layers to this story - a fantastical alternate reality, sure, but also a delicious family mystery surrounding a world of people who do terrible things. Book of Night is as much an escapist fantasy as it is a Nancy Drew novel, and you quickly begin to wonder how Charlie could escape the world in which she's found herself.
I certainly did not see the ending coming. Holly does a phenomenal job of providing the clues and burying the lede, keeping Charlie and readers in the dark until the answer is staring us in the face. The climax is masterful, and the ending leaves readers unsettled. It's a perfect ending for Charlie, and ties a nice bow around a story that couldn't be woven any tighter.
Holly's adult debut - which is a standalone (for now?) - is a masterpiece. It's a reminder for anyone who's forgotten that Holly Black is a phenomenal writer, and she can always outpace her own hype. I eagerly await whatever story Holly puts out next!
I received an ARC of this title from Tor Books, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much to Tor for providing me early access!
In Book of Night, we enter a world where shadows can become living parts of yourself, a superpower of sorts that naturally leads to manipulation and power. Within this world we meet Charlie Hall, a former con artist trying to start anew. She does odd jobs that don't compare to the cons she used to run, and bartends at night. Living with her sister, who desperately wants a powerful shadow of her own, and her secretive boyfriend, Vince, Charlie thinks that things are at least under control if not even stable. But when a sinister figure from her past reemerges, seeking a book that suddenly everyone around her has connections to, her life is thrown into chaos. Even worse when her own shadow starts seeming off, and she finds herself in a web of dark family history, secrets, and dozens of powerful people and their shadows who would stop at nothing to end her life.
I've always enjoyed Holly's urban fantasy, and this story is another excellent entry in her work thus far. She does a fantastic job of creating a fantasy world within ours that feels tangible, and one that I don't find myself tripping over details to understand. Charlie isn't the easiest character - and, at times, I pondered this story from the lens of another prominent character - but she's the right person to tell the story and explore this mystery. Charlie finds herself in the midst of the mystery before she can even realize it, and she ends up following both by force and coincidence. There are so many layers to this story - a fantastical alternate reality, sure, but also a delicious family mystery surrounding a world of people who do terrible things. Book of Night is as much an escapist fantasy as it is a Nancy Drew novel, and you quickly begin to wonder how Charlie could escape the world in which she's found herself.
I certainly did not see the ending coming. Holly does a phenomenal job of providing the clues and burying the lede, keeping Charlie and readers in the dark until the answer is staring us in the face. The climax is masterful, and the ending leaves readers unsettled. It's a perfect ending for Charlie, and ties a nice bow around a story that couldn't be woven any tighter.
Holly's adult debut - which is a standalone (for now?) - is a masterpiece. It's a reminder for anyone who's forgotten that Holly Black is a phenomenal writer, and she can always outpace her own hype. I eagerly await whatever story Holly puts out next!
I received an ARC of this title from Tor Books, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much to Tor for providing me early access!
dodie_sullivan's review against another edition
I stopped reading for an hour and no desire to pick up again. Main character is eh