Speed Review: “Divine Vices” by Melissa Parkin
Title: Divine Vices (Divine Vices #1)
With thanks to Melissa Parkin for the copy of this novel! As always, my reviews are non-bias and fair.
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def: a “speed review” is a new feature on Pretty Little Memoirs consisting of shorter reads and eBooks that I’ve read in a quick and event-filled review |
Divine Vices took me on quite a roller-coaster! We learn that Cassie Foster had lost her Mom and Sister to a traumatic event, nine months previous to the starting point of the book, and that she’s managing to push through that in a new town as school and life in general continues. Cassie and her father seem to have a very strong bond, that we see right from the start, too, although we see that differ as Cassie goes through the novel with the occurrences that take place.
What I loved the most was definitely how Divine Vices started in the Prologue – it definitely made for a page turner, and I must have read half the book straight after taking a peak at the prologue, so that will say something about just how enthralling it was! Melissa wrote in such a way that each voice was distinctive from the next and painted a vivid picture of possibly what they would sound and look like in person, which hit my favourite things when I’m reading right on the mark. But even then in the Prologue, the road for where the novel will go is still unclear and left me wanting to find out just what was going to happen next, which gives way for what’s to come.
Cassie is a very strong narrator and girl, overall. I actually really enjoyed reading in her perspective, because she was a very aware and the way she just is seems to me like she’s lived through a lot and survived it, making her stronger on the inside. She was also a great friend to Ian and Gwen, so that made her an even better person as a whole. And her style of dressing wasn’t very mainstream, so it gave her a twinge of unique to add to the many great things about her character.
Jackson, where do I start? He was the perfect mix of sarcastic, handsomely described, and the perfect bad boy we all love in a novel. He reminded me a lot of a Patch-esque character from Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush series and had some elements of good-hearted characteristics too, especially for Cassie. Their romance was a favourite part of the novel for me, because it wasn’t all smooth-sailing and it wasn’t that girl-meets-boy and falls head over heels, it had depth and connection, although it was a very quick realisation that there was that connection. But still a favourite thing for me!
The plot was fast-paced, addictive and definitely fitted in with what I love in a Fantasy book, alike the feeling I had for similar books in the genre. Divine Vices in itself was unique in it’s setting and Fantasy world as a whole, and I loved the different turn Melissa took the book on than what I had expected, so a surprising turn of events added to the mix left me wanting more. And that ending! Suspenseful doesn’t cut it.
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4 Cats: Amazing. Really enjoyed it! |