HELLOOOOO Rad Readers!!
First off, I would like to apologize for the title... I just could not help myself. It rhymed, what can I say!
Secondly, I loved this book. I know I said this in my review of 'Hush, Hush,' (Crescendo is the second out of the four books in the Hush, Hush series) but I just get such strong Mara Dyer vibes from these books. I don't know if it's the spooky, eerie, thriller vibe, or just similar characters (Patch=Noah... don't @ me) and writing, but I just loved everything about it. 'The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer' was my favorite book until I read 'Six of Crows,' so saying that it reminds me of one of my favorite books is REALLYYYY saying something!
(Also, totally unimportant but the cover of this book was gnarly.)
SPOILERS COMING AT YOU!
Okay! Lettuce begin... haha... get it... like let us, but I said lettuce... Anyways, I really enjoyed the shifting dynamic with Nora and Patch. They were just really not homies for a second there and I think that this was an interesting take. So many stories just act like things are all good, uninterrupted, all the time. It makes it unrealistic and unbelievable and thus harder to connect with as the reader. Certainly not a problem in 'Crescendo.' I even found that to be a problem in the 'Mara Dyer' series. Mara just trusted Noah in everything which was an iffy vibe to follow, but there is still a part of Nora that is skeptical, and rightfully so considering the fact that Patch's initial intent was to murder her. Then buddy pulled through and didn't murder her. Major dub, happily ever after... Or so we thought. When the book started off with Patch acting so wack I was like "Dude, what is your deal." I didn't know what was going on, you didn't know what was going on, Nora didn't know what was going on. It was madness. He was acting like and irrational, untrustworthy, unnecessarily secretive, jerk. There were so many many many secrets going on in this book which was so frustrating because why do characters always think it is easier to defeat the big bad wolf when they are the only ones that know about it. Like hellooooo? Team work makes the dream work. Heard of it? First he doesn't care, then he cares too much, then he lies to Nora (which I was also personally hurt by), then he BETRAYS Nora (which I was then just angered by), then he is trying to get her to go back to before she knew about this entire world which is just absolutely impossible and stupid and insane. You don't just let go having the knowledge about an entirely supernatural secret society. I was teaming with rage at this man for the majority of the time. But obviously that was the goal of the author, so bravo, I am frustrated. I was 80% sure that Becca Fitzpatrick was trying to get everyone who read these books to hate Patch. The other 20% of me was mentally screaming at Nora.
Nora is the type of girl that runs up the stairs instead of out the door in a horror movie.
Nora is the type of girl that doesn't make sure the bad guy is dead.
Nora is the type of girl that suggests you all split up.
She is the one that can't start the car, the one that keeps on tripping when she is running away from the killer. She is the one with bad cellphone reception so she can't call 911. She will go into the creepy basement with no weapons and a weak flashlight. She is the one that drops the keys. She is the one that wants to go investigate in the dark.
Nora is absolutely, totally, and completely frustrating with her mindlessness when it comes to important decision making, and with her willingness and stupidity to walk into so so so obviously horrible and dangerous situations. It is almost hilarious. I get it that she is like this for the sake of continuing the plot, making things interesting and action-y but for god sakes it is so annoying when she is like "Yes, this is a very bad idea and I know that I could absolutely die if I do this, so I will not do it." THENNNNN it's like she just had amnesia about that moment of intelligence and at the first plea that she do something dumb, she does exactly that dumb thing. Nora, dawg, you are a mortal. When these immortal people are telling you not to do these stupid stupid things that you are doing it's not because they think you suck and you are lame, it's because THAY CANNOT DIE butttt YOU CANNNN! Obviously though, I think this is fairly realistic of a teenage girl. Adds to the thriller vibes as well. It's like I'm reading a horror movie! I personally would not want to be left out of the excitement even if I were a mortal. It was nice to see her stand up for herself finally, though. With Marcie and Patch. I was proud of her when she told them what was up and when she punched Marcie. She had it coming. Nora just has a way of doing it that is undeniably the worst option all the time. It is luck and luck alone that she didn't die in the first 20 pages of the first book. Period. In conclusion. Nora, dude, chill. Alright?
Side characters? Nicely done. Marcie? I loathe her. Scott? Bad guy? Good guy? Ahhh I don't know. I think I like him. He brings some humor, and I like that he calls Nora out on her wackness. Someone needs to. Vee? I like her an Nora's friendship. It is nice that Nora has someone else she trusts besides just Patch. I do think she is a little annoying at some times though. Okay, a lot of times. Nora's mother? NOT. A. FAN. Homie's got a lot of explaining to do...
Finally, for whatever reason --and I have said this about this series before-- everyone besides me seems to hate this book series. Thus, I must give my obligatory defense of it as I do in these circumstances... *Clears throat* IT'S FUN OKAY! I know, I know, I know, it's cheesy sometimes, the opposite of intellectually challenging, a little clichéd, and about as deep as a kiddy pool. However, it is also exciting and fast paced. The characters are interesting. The writing is consistent, and spooky, and the story is good! The goal of the book is to tell an interesting story with interesting characters. I think that goal was accomplished. If you are reading these types of books-- this kind of genre-- thinking you are going to walk away with a new philosophy on life, or you are going to get some profound metaphors and color symbolism like in The Great Gatsby, then you sir, are the problem. Build a bridge and get over it. Let the rest of us enjoy the fun! Learn to live a little. I read to be entertained and in my opinion this is entertaining! I read enough profoundly lame, symbolic, and boring books in school to balance it out anyways.
Once I started reading this book I was immediately hooked. It was for sure a page turner and just when I thought the action was starting to calm down it picked right back up again, thus absolutely prohibiting me from putting it down until I finished it. I honestly couldn't tell if it was a quick read or I was just reading it at the speed of light because I liked the story so much?
What a cliff hanger we were left on btw... 5/5 stars from me on GoodReads!
- C8 ;)
P.S. I just had a super hot take. This is like 'Fallen' by Lauren Kate, but done right!
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