Book Review: Blythewood by Carol Goodman

Blythewood by Carol Goodman

Book Summary: Welcome to Blythewood.

At seventeen, Avaline Hall has already buried her mother, survived a horrific factory fire, and escaped from an insane asylum. Now she’s on her way to Blythewood Academy, the elite boarding school in New York’s mist-shrouded Hudson Valley that her mother attended—and was expelled from. Though she’s afraid her high society classmates won’t accept a factory girl in their midst, Ava is desperate to unravel her family’s murky past, discover the identity of the father she’s never known, and perhaps finally understand her mother’s abrupt suicide. She’s also on the hunt for the identity of the mysterious boy who rescued her from the fire. And she suspects the answers she seeks lie at Blythewood.   

But nothing could have prepared her for the dark secret of what Blythewood is, and what its students are being trained to do. Haunted by dreams of a winged boy and pursued by visions of a sinister man who breathes smoke, Ava isn’t sure if she’s losing her mind or getting closer to the truth. And the more rigorously Ava digs into the past, the more dangerous her present becomes.    

Vivid and atmospheric, full of mystery and magic, this romantic page-turner by bestselling author Carol Goodman tells the story of a world on the brink of change and the girl who is the catalyst for it all.

Liana's Summary: Avaline Hall is hears the bells in her head whenever she feels like she is in danger. She is a chime child. She is sent to Blythewood, determined to find out more about and understand her father and mother. The school teaches their students that supernatural creatures are all evil.. but when Ava meets a Darkling, she begs to differ.

Rate(1-10): 8

I was about to DNF this book. This review is five months late. sorrysorrysorry

BUT OH MY GOD AM I GLAD I DIDN'T. The latter half of this story? Perfect. Amazing. The first half? Probably the thing that kept it from getting a 5 stars.

There was a huge gap between the date I'd started this book and today. (That gap was, of course, caused by how I got distracted by other books and busied up with school and etc..) Of course, I'd managed to forget everything in the beginning. oh the horror. But that turned out to be fine beside the fact that I forgot who a handful of the characters was.

What can I say? The romance was just so slow and steady and good. wait does it count as romance BUT IT WAS SO SLOW IT HURT.

Okay, can we just talk about the Darkling. THE DARKLING. He is what made this book a four stars. Without him, it probably would've been a three, borderline two. He kept me screaming for more and turning the pages. Best. Character. Ever. I love him.

You know, I refuse to accept that the book ends here without a sequel. THIS BOOK MAY NOT END THIS WAY I REFUSE TO ACCEPT IT. need to know what happened  need more romance He's such an interesting figure. Not to mention really mysteriously sexy?

If there's a sequel, I might as well read it. I need to know what happened.

Quotes

"It means 'fiery girls'".

Coming from an old man, that just sounds perverted

"..his warm breath, which smelled like apples, spreading heat through my body."

OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.

"I looked up and saw a face lit by moonlight-- the face of the dark-eyed youth who had rescued me from the fire."

OUUUUU GIRL

"You should blush all the time; it becomes you."

I don't know who to ship her with anymore..

"I only dream of nice things,"

Liessss

"I'll beat them back while you girls run."

Why is that funny

"...or feel a pang of jealousy at the way Nathan had looked at Sarah."

Come ON Ava are you serious

"Lair?" He raised an eyebrow. "Look around you. Does this look like a lair?"

SASSY AND SEXY OUUUUUUU

"... he reached for a shirt hanging from a hook and put it on."

Now is that absolutely necessary

"...his lips quirking into a smile at the sight of me. Too late I realized what I must look like. I parted my hair and found it a tangled mess full of twigs and feathers. He looked politely away as I tried to put it to rights.."

God I ship it so hard

"Will I see you again . . . I mean . . . in case I have news?"

No need to pretend, Ava. We all know -winkwink-

"...which made me a little jealous.."

NO NEED TO BE JEALOUS GODDAMNIT AVA YOU AND NATHAN AREN'T MY OTP IN THIS BOOK.

"Then his lips were on mine.."

OH MY GOODNESS FINALLY THIS SCENE FINALLY DO Y'ALL KNOW HOW LONG I WAITED FOR THIS SCENE

"You've taken enough of our women, fiend!"

Oh my god go away you ignorant little shit

"And I wouldn't have to choose between Nathan and...."

IS THAT REALLY A STRUGGLE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN NATHAN AND THE DARKLING REALLY

"His wings weren't black at all, I realized now-- they held every color in the rainbow."

Great, now he has rainbow wings -facepalm-

"That's easy," Helen replied. "Everyone's heard of the Titanic. It's the ship built to be unsinkable."

OH MY GOD NO CAROL GOODMAN YOU ARE NOT DOING THIS

"Although I do think that it's quite fetching on you."

We need Regina and Gretchen right about now. Stahp trying to make fetch happen. Ain't gon' happen.

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