Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Bewitching Hour by Ashley Poston

6 reviews

kynaeus's review

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hopeful mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Just an ok book. That said, I am not the YA target audience so this isn't necessarily for me. There's a few minor tie ins to Buffy but nothing really important happens here as Tara's character is already set in how we'll find her later in Buffy season 4

Now that aside, if you are looking for a no-spice sapphic romance amidst murder mystery and supernatural characters, definitely check this out. Check it out if Buffy sounds interesting but you haven't seen it yet; this is a good entry point to amuse your bouche and help you know if it's worth it to start the show (it is)
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skye_era_books's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I lovedddd this book so much. Ashley Poston is gonna hit every time but SAPPHIC TOOOOO? Absolutely. Loved the Buffy the Vampire Slayer element. Loved the queerness. Loved the 90s nostalgia. Loved the asexual incubus. FUCK Tara’s dad and brother — and ya know what, fuck her cousin too.
Tara’s poor mom dies and now they’re like 👉👉👉WITCH‼️‼️
anyway… if you want a queer ya horror mystery look no further. 
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tofugal's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A must-read for Tara fans. It was nice to see my favorite Buffy character take center stage, have her own adventure, and save the day, instead of being on the periphery or primarily utilized as a damsel in distress. This story beautifully captured Tara’s first crush and her journey towards embracing her magic in spite of the terrible lies her father told her about witchcraft. Daphne and Baz were well-rounded and lovable as well. Though Tara’s fate on Buffy will never stop breaking my heart, it was wonderful to spend quality time with her in this novel.
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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

    Get a slice of the fan favorite, Tara's, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, backstory in this Tara prequel to BtVS. 
     I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but it had too much romance for my taste. I love Ashley Poston as a YA romance writer from what I've read by her, but I felt this book should have been less about romance, and more about action, but I'm not sure that's the author's wheelhouse. 
     I honestly preferred the Spike prequel. I would LOVE to see a Faith prequel by someone like, Jay Kristoff!
     My favorite character was Baz, he was sweet and funny and just a character who helped to lighten up an otherwise dark tale. Tara's love interest I didn't like as much, since we didn't get her point of view or a lot of her back story, she just seemed gruff and a bit unlikable. 
   I hate Tara's family even more after reading this book than I did in the show. Her whole family was awful. Though in the show they seemed more white trashy than a professor and his kids. 
     Overall, the book was good, but not the best by the author I've read so far. 

Extra ratings: Fluff- 1/5   Heartfelt- 4.5/5   Helpful-NA   Horror- 0.5/5   Inspiration-NA   Love-3.5/5   Mystery- 2/5    Predictablity- 3/5   Spice-0/5    Suspense-1/5    Tear 2.5/5    Thrill-1/5    Humor-1.5/5
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jenniferbbookdragon's review

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

4.25

A delightful story of Tara Maclay before she comes to UC Sunnydale and joins Willow and the Scoobies on the Hellmouth. Her mother has died eight months before the beginning of this tale, her family relocated from Nebraska to Vermont, and she is the new girl at school. Tara faces her fears, grief,  and unexpected magical threats while trying to survive the horrors of high school: bullying,  dodgeball and where to sit in the cafeteria.
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kayladaila's review

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

4.0

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy! 

While this book is great, please know that Joss Whedon is a pretty terrible person and will profit off of this book. 

The Bewitching Hour is a realistic fantasy novel about teenage Tara Maclay moving to Vermont and starting a new high school rife with murder and mystery. Ashley Poston did a great job with Tara, one of the most beloved Buffy characters. When I saw Poston’s name attached to the project, I knew it was going to be great. You do not have to have seen Buffy to enjoy this book, but there were some really cute nods to the tv series. Ashley Poston also did a great job of including diversity with all the new characters she introduced. 
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