Member Reviews
I’ve landed myself in a huge reading slump this year, but as soon as I began reading this novel I was completely hooked. This hasn’t happened in a while, so this was a sign that I was going to enjoy this book. And I absolutely did!
This novel follows Quinn who is cursed – when she touches people, she envisions the last time she will see that person. You can imagine then, it’s been difficult for her and friendships/relationships. When she meets the handsome and mysterious Griffin one day and accidentally touches him, she sees him dying. As he is telling her he loves her. Quinn is then determined to beat the curse and try to stop this from happening.
The novel was fairly fast paced I’d say, but not in a bad way. The plot keeps you moving and interested. I loved watching the romance between Griffin and Quinn grow – it felt like a more gradual, realistic romance than I see in other YA novels. I was rooting so hard for them. Yes, everything was cheesy, even to their falling out at the end due to their climax, but I ate it up.
Despite this being a paranormal romance, it had a thriller aspect to it as the main character was trying to figure out how to keep Griffin from getting murdered. In a way, it was very predictable, but only because the author dropped a lot of obvious hints. I can’t the predictability of the book was a bad thing, but I saw everything coming.
I do wish Quinn’s curse/ability was explored more, as it was something that ran in her family. I think having more information on that lore would have added a little bit more background to the novel to really sell that paranormal part.
But overall, I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of what I used to read as a teenager, and I think many others will enjoy it too.
First I would like to thank Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC..
“ I’ll never forget that smile, those eyes, Your beautiful everything. The way you said my name, The way you said anything. Beautiful girl, On top of the world, You’ve never been found. If it were up to me, you’d be crowned.”
This book follows Quinn who is trying to get a scholarship to her dream college with her photography, and Quinn has a secret all the women in her family are cursed with powers but none are the same and poor Quinn? Well with every person she encounters and just the slightest of touches she has a vision of the last time she’ll ever see them.
What happens when she meets Griffin and they touch? She sees griffin die and not only that they confess their love for one another. What happens in between? What leads them there? You’ll have to find out.
In this mystery of who is after Griffin? Or are they really after Quinn?
I will admit at first the story was a little slow and it took me a moment to get into it, but once I did I couldn’t stop reading it. I devoured in less than a day and it was such a. Nice and good read, the ending and the reveal I did kinda see coming so I knocked a star off for being a little too predictable. But I loved Quinn and griffin and their relationship was to die for “literally” . I really hope you guys give this book a chance it comes out Jan 4 of next year. ❤️
Most days it's a curse, but somedays it's kind of a blessing in disguise, Quinn has the ability to determine the future with one single touch. She can reach out a hand and instantly know how her relationship with that particular person will continue or ultimately end... and most of the time it's good. But this time it's not, it's anything but really. Griffin comes along, there's an innocent touch, and suddenly there is a dark dooming cloud hanging over them. And Quinn knows the outcome, and it's not a good one!
To Whatever End is an inventive and suspenseful young adult tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Quinn's ability has lead her down a path that she isn't so sure she wants to continue to experience, because after all, she already knows the outcome and it's not ideal. It's disturbing to know the person she just met and could absolutely fall for dies in her arms in the near future. So she decides to play with fate a bit and try and keep Griffin at bay, but fate winds up getting the upper hand as always.
This book was quite captivating, once I met Quinn and Griffin I had to know how things would go for them. Page after page they pulled me deeper into their world and took me on one heck of a thrilling and enthralling journey! If you like suspenseful tales with a bit of magic mixed in then I have a feeling this one will easily win you over, it's well penned words are bound to satisfy!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.
The book was good, I didn’t love it but I didn’t dislike it either. I wish the book had not immediately jumped into Quinn and Griffin’s story, I would have liked to have seen more about her curse first. Also, I was expecting more to happen but instead I found myself predicting things fairly quickly. It’s still a cute YA insta love/mystery story that I know others will really enjoy!
The uniqueness of the is book's plot really attracted me to the story. I love the idea of a lady who cannot touch another without consequences and the fact that there is a bit of magic really pulled me into the story.
The author does an amazing job of creating a solid main character in Quinn. I really enjoyed getting to know her, follow her along in her journey and to discover life right along with her. I liked that the author took the time to develop the relationships as well. The instant love was nice, and I really liked the dynamics between Quinn and Griffin. I think he was a wonderful addition to this story.
What I would have liked more of is the actual curse and consequences. I felt this story as a whole is more about Quinn and her life choices rather then the supernatural aspects. I wanted more in the ending, not a different ending but more details. We (Quinn and I, LOL) worked so hard for it to be as "rushed" as it felt. I received an ARC via NetGalley and Entangled Publishing and I am leaving my honest review.
Quinn has a curse. Whenever she first touches someone, she sees a vision of the last time they'll see each other. Normally the visions are pretty innocent, if not annoying. But then she meets Griffin in a museum, and a brush of his hand shows her a gruesome scene- him dying... and her being the reason why. Now Quinn will do anything to figure out the vision, and find a way to change it.
This book was pretty good. I give it a 3.5. The pacing felt a little off in some parts, but overall the story kept me interested. There's a slight magical element with Quinn's powers, but this is definitely more of a contemporary than anything else. There's a bit of a romance element, but the mystery is the biggest part. I did find the plot easy to predict, and I figured out the mystery pretty quickly. (Being intentionally vague to avoid spoilers).
I liked this one, and it was a nice easy read. I wish we had a little more backstory on Quinn's visions and the history of there being this family curse. But overall, this is a good and enjoyable YA mystery! There's a touch of romance, and some interesting characters. I think this would be a good one for younger readers too.
Thank you to Entangled Teen for the arc!
This book was really interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The plot was active and the main characters kept the story moving. I could really relate to the main character which makes me more invested in the story. I will be recommending it to all of my friends.
Visions. Death. Visions of death. Romance. Count me in! At least, that’s what I thought I was getting. Instead, right from the first page you know there is going to be a whole lot of romantic tension, chemistry and flirting. This book ended up being completely about the romance and very little about the visions. This just didn’t grab me. It’s a book that I will sadly easily forget.
Quinn is cursed to experience the end of every relationship she has with anyone she touches. While this is the underlying thread, Quinn’s curse doesn’t feature all that much in the story. Instead, Quinn and Griffin’s romance takes centre stage. Quinn states that she isn’t interested in romance or guys, yet just seconds after meeting Griffin, Quinn is pretty ready to give love a go. Quinn is a few years older and has finished school, so that gives the book an older feel. He is living by himself, while Quinn lives with grandmother.
I would have liked to learn more about Quinn’s curse. Cursed seems a strong word for Quinn’s curse. It seems she only experiences the vision the first time she touches a person. Sometimes, with casual contacts, their relationship end is the same experience they have just had, never to meet again. With others, like the vision she has of Griffin, it’s a far more dramatic vision. The only explanation given for Quinn’s curse is that all the women in her family have experienced similar curses. Something I couldn’t understand is why do girls with special gifts or ‘curses’ only start experimenting with them or their ability to control that gift once a guy is involved? If I had special skills, especially one I didn’t like, I’d be playing, testing and learning from the day I first realised it. Not Quinn. Previously she has just shied away from people, except her one best friend, and she is only motivated to start investigating once Griffin’s life is threatened.
Quinn works to uncover that happened to make Griffin move away from his dad , but I felt like I didn’t get to know Quinn outside of her relationship with Griffin, which is all consuming. Their relationship is sweet, and oh the cheese. This is some cheesy, cheesy romance. Song lyrics, dancing and all.
Also, I had to minus points because the library is painted as this underused place and Quinn describes her job as a librarian as quiet and she has nothing to do. This is so different from the bustling libraries and librarians who are run off their feet running programs. I would hope that an author especially, when given the chance to feature a library should paint a positive picture of these services rather than contribute to negative stereotypes.
I know if I give this book to my book club readers, the first word out of their mouths would be cliched - harsh I know, but true of this book. But, if you like paranormal romances with a focus on the romance, you might like give this one a try.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
To Whatever End is a really unique mystery with some paranormal elements to it. Quinn has inherited a gift/curse that is passed down to the females in her family. The gift/curse differs a bit between women and Quinn’s gift is to know how every relationship will end, simply by a touch and without the power to change anything. Living with her grandma Ruth since her parents have died, Quinn has had a little trouble in the dating scene because of her visions and it’s not until she meets Griffin that she see’s something truly terrible. Doing everything in her power to avoid this boy (and according to her vision, a boy she’s basically destined to love) doesn’t help when he becomes her neighbor.
There’s a lot of elements that I really enjoyed in this story; a mysterious stalker, playful fun banter, twists and turns – some I saw coming while one I did not! It’s a quick fun read that I really enjoyed and I’ll definitely read more by this author. It’s not a super deep read but it’s a really fun one that kept me entertained throughout. Solid 3.5 stars!
Thanks to Entangled Publishing for giving me an early copy to read and review.
Quinn has a gift, or curse as she sees it, that will show her the last time she will see everyone she touches. Most of the time, it's completely innocent until one day she sees someone dying in her arms.
This book was a real quick read for me and I was hard pressed to put it down. I was completely immersed in Quinn's life and relationships. The plot kept me on my toes. It was a nice mix of romance, a hint of magic, and mystery. I thought for sure I knew how this story was going to end 50% of the way through the book, but I was pleasantly surprised to see I was wrong.
This releases January 4th and I would recommend this book of you're looking for a quick, easy YA read.
TO WHATEVER END is a YA contemporary with a magical twist - the main character is able to see the end of her relationship with someone whenever she touches them. Although she is powerless to change the ending, she has not given up hope of being able to do so through her choices. When she meets a guy at a museum, she sees them confessing their love for each other as he is dying in her arms. Although she knows from past experience that she would be unable to change it, she is determined to try.
As they get to know each other, odd things are happening and they seem to be escalating. Whether Quinn will be able to get to the cause of it all is uncertain - and she knows it's only a matter of time before the end of their relationship plays out in real life.
The premise of this was really intriguing, with Quinn being able to see the end of any relationship with a touch (be it friendship, romance, acquaintance). However, we did not get a lot of insight into this "curse" or why it is handed down through the family. I would have liked more knowledge of it and why fate seems so unbreakable. It straddled the line of a thriller, with the crimes and the person behind it all upping the ante along the way, but the pace and cadence of the book was heavily weighted to romance and the focus on her relationship with Griffin.
In terms of the romance, it fell a little flat for me with Quinn being "different than other girls" and spending a lot of time interrogating Griffin to figure out who would try to kill him (with the motive being to change their future ending). They also straddle adulthood with Griffin living on his own and being out of high school, while Quinn is still in and planning to apply to art school. I think with the magic and thriller/mystery elements, the plot was stretched a little thin and needed more weight on one or another.
I do think this would appeal to fans of EVERMORE and BEAUTIFUL CREATURES. Overall, TO WHATEVER END has an interesting premise with elements of thriller/mystery, romance, and a touch of magical realism.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this YA romance! It's classified as fantasy, but it reads as a romantic mystery with a dash of the mystical.
I loved the romance between Quinn and Griffin. Their banter and dates were so realistic! It felt like I knew them, and their relationship, even though it developed quickly, felt real. I enjoyed how they got to know each other better through their talks.
The mystical element of Quinn's curse was well fleshed out, though the idea of sacrifices seemed a bit drastic. I did enjoy the idea of fate and choices being explored, and the lore of different curses running in her family, though I would have liked more explanation around this.
The action ramped up steadily, and I was definitely sweating by the end! That final confrontation was intense, but the reasoning behind the character's actions were really interesting. I would have liked to get even more from that.
Overall this was a really good read! There were elements I felt could have been fleshed out more, but the romance between Quinn and Griffen really made me enjoy this story, and I would definitely read another book from this author.
Thank you Entangled Teen and Netgalley for this ebook arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to YA Bound Book Tours for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
3/5 stars
To Whatever End was completely different than I expected, but I actually enjoyed it more because of it! It's categorized as fantasy on Goodreads, but I'd call it more of a thriller or mystery. While there are elements of magical realism, if you go into this book expecting a fantasy read you may be sorely disappointed. Magical realism books are books that mostly belong in another genre, but have hints of magic or something that couldn't happen in everyday life.
Quinn is cursed. Whenever she meets someone, she sees a vision of the last time they will ever see each other. Normally it's something small--friends drifting apart, a stranger on the street she'll never see again. But when she meets Griffin, she sees him dying in her arms, telling her that he loves her. Naturally, her instinct is to stay away from him so he doesn't get hurt. But fate has a funny way of playing out, whether you want it to or not.
This book had elements of everything I love in a book: mysterious death threats, a hacker, a touch of magic--but I felt like none of them were fleshed out enough. It's easiest to see what I mean when talking about the curse. We know Quinn has a curse, that's what created the premise of the story. But we don't really learn much about it. We touch on a few small facts, but I would have liked to see more. In magical realism books, magic is treated like fact: there's magic in a world that shouldn't have it. But it's never explained to satisfaction, which would have been nice to see here.
I tried to guess the mystery from halfway through the book, as I like to do, and I only got it partially correct, so points for that! I guessed the person because they freaked me out from the beginning, but I got the motive and relation to the main character all wrong. I like it when a mystery keeps me guessing, and though I knew the person, the story kept me on my toes looking for the motive.
All good thrillers need fast pacing to keep it interesting and (drumroll please) this one delivered! I read two-thirds of the book in one night because I literally could not put it down! Slow-paced thrillers can get really boring, because the entire point it to thrill you! Thankfully, this one kept me on my toes with fast pacing.
While I did enjoy this book, it did not especially stick out to me. If you're looking for a quick, fun thriller, this might be right up your alley! If you're looking for a book a change your life, you might not find it here. That said, I did have a great time reading it, and I hope you will too!
Quinn has a talent, or a curse as she calls it - when she touches someone, even the briefest brush, she sees a vision of the last time they will see each other. This might be completely innocent, but things change when she meets Griffin. What she sees is death.
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To Whatever End is a nice blend of whodunit, a touch of mysterious “power”, and YA. While it has some high school-level romance involved, it’s not a main thing. Overall, I will give this one a 3.5 - I thoroughly enjoyed it but it wasn’t particularly inventive. There were some twists and turns I didn’t expect while others seemed quite obvious. Pleasant and quick, but not a hold-the-phone-while-I-tell-the-world kind of book.
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I have voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
I loved the premise of this book. The complication of being a teenager compounded by this power or "curse". I wish we would have had a little more insight on her powers instead of just an overview. I did enjoy the romance and the magical realism throughout. To make it better the mystery element really kept me engaged.
To Whatever End by Lindsey Frydman a thought-provoking four-star read. In some ways this was easily a five-star read, the premise and the story, but there was something amiss. Quinn was a compelling character and watching her unfold, and grow was a joy to read. Watching her deal with the curse and be brave enough not to just hide and ignore it like many people much more mature than her would. What would you do for someone who loves you, but whom you don’t even know.
I enjoyed the creative premise of this book. Being able to essentially see a future event from touching someone seems like quite a burden to bear. Even if the outcome is positive, it's difficult to keep things "under wraps." Of course, things can't be that easy for our main character, Quinn. She has haunting visions of future events that she can't bear to see come true. She is consistently trying to figure out a way to change future events.
I've seen this book categorized as a fantasy on Goodreads. I believe it would be better classified as mystical. For the most part, I really don't believe it fits the description of a true fantasy book. What it did really well was present a love story that also included a mystery and some mystical elements.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I chose to voluntarily review it and the opinions contained within are my own.
Quinn Easterly is cursed. With one touch, she can see the end to someone's life. Everyday deaths, and ones that haunt her in her daydreams. Ones that have always proven impossible to prevent. She has finally learned to go about life as usual until she meets Griffin.
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Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Well, I have quite a few mixed feelings about this book. It was such a fun and quick read, but I walked away with a few more questions than answers.
To stars: the characters.
Quinn: the protagonist, saddled with a curse. Well, she describes it as a curse. There are only a few instances throughout the entire story (including the main, plot driving one) that the curse even seemed as such. She seemed just like any other regular, education driven, slightly boy crazy, stressed out teen. I really loved that about her, though, because it was so freaking relatable.
Griffin: perfect, stupid boy with perfect, stupid hair. He plays guitar. He visits art museums. Typical. Again, though, I enjoyed his *basicness* because he also seemed super relatable.
There was an entire host of side characters that I enjoyed but didn’t really serve to motivate the plot (unless I want to get spoilery.....)
As for the plot, it was very fast paced. There were very few fluffy scenes that weren’t plot motivated. I kinda missed this because I felt like I knew the characters less. It was harder to get invested when stuff started going DOWN. Still fun and enjoyable, but it felt more removed. The plot also seemed very easy to figure out. Once things started speeding up (50ish% into the book) I could tell you who did what and how it was going to end. This wasn’t entirely bad because I could focus on the little details that I love, just the element of surprise was gone.
Overall, this was a fun and quick read that I will be adding to my shelf, but maybe not going out of my way to read the author’s other works.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.
Look Entangled, I’m really gonna need you to stop putting me in my feels with each and every book. This one made me swoon, then hurt and just continually repeated that cycle. Until the end and now my eyeballs hurt.
Following the life of Quinn, you see her get visions of the end of her time with people with just one touch. This concept is so wild and fresh to me, I just wished we got a little more to their background or if he family is the only one. But I enjoyed the concept and utilization of these visions. Now, from the second Griffin was introduced I adored him. The misunderstood boy just wanting a fresh start. Their romance was sweet, even if a little cliche. I really loved how it flowed and developed.
My only complaint was that it was a little predictable when it came to the twists, but it was well written and alluring, so personally I didn’t mind. I enjoyed this so much and my heart feels so full.
So, until about 80% in, I planned on giving this book 4-4.5 stars. I really enjoyed it and thought the storyline was really good. Then I feel like the last 20% the book kind of spiraled.
In my opinion, the ending was really rushed. I had a theory in my head throughout the book, and while I was right about the person, I was wrong about who the person was TO Griffin and Quinn. (Sorry, hard to explain without spoilers haha)
Other than the end, the rest of the story was really good and entertaining. It was unique enough to keep me interested. Quinn can touch people and see how their relationship ends - whether it be friends, family, or a stranger on the street she only sees once. Kind of cool, but probably pretty awful at the same time I’m sure. She meets Griffin and has a vision of his death. The book then dives into how she can’t stop him from being murdered.
Read it. Decide for yourself how you feel about the ending or the twist in the storyline, then let me know your thoughts.