Member Reviews

this one took a bit to get invested, but once it started picking up the motion didn't stop! I wish there was more build up between the love interests, but otherwise this was good. and the cover is incredible!!

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I must admit that the cover of Foretold drew me in and that's why I requested the arc, which I ended up taking way too long to start.
Maybe I have read too many YA fantasy/paranormal books, because I found this extremely predictable, but even having quite a clear idea of how things would turn out, I enjoyed some of the ride, it just felt really... forgettable. The romance was the worst part for me, I hate insta-love, and, IMO the friendships Cass made throughout the book, albeit cute, were not enough to redeem the whole thing.
I don't regret reading this, but I doubt I'll pick up the sequel.

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Foretold was hard to get into for me. I kept putting it down and reading other things. However, after pushing through the past few chapters, I started to fall in love with the characters. The ending left me angry and breathless because I wasn’t ready and definitely did not see it coming.

Overall, four stars out of five. I love the way Violet wrote about OCD and brought that to light, when many others don’t.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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I just have to say, first of all, that I love this cover. I'm generally not into anything to do with scrying or psychics or mystics or even really astrology, but something about that delicate violet cloud of smoke and the golden lettering... It just really screams magic and fantasy, doesn't it? It definitely drew me in immediately.
If you've read any of my other reviews on my blog, you'll probably know that I'm a sucker for any novel that includes mental health issues - as long as it's told well. This is one of those. The protagonist, Cassie, has OCD and extreme anxiety and catastrophic thinking. It's not the *focus* of the story, but it's also obvious how it impacts her life in so many ways. This is a delicate balance. As someone with their own struggles, I know how irritating it is to be defined by your diagnoses, yet it's equally infuriating when people don't understand how these illnesses can affect you in *so many ways*. I loved how Cassie's compulsions showed up seemingly out of the blue at times, or how such 'random' things could be so meaningful or triggering for her. But, like I said, I also appreciate that this isn't the main plot, and so it isn't focused on too much, either, in my opinion.
As for the fantasy side of things, that was also great! It was all explained well - as in, I was made to believe that it was plausible, it was *possible*. I was immersed in the world of Cassie and her friends as they learned to harness their gifts, and I was fascinated to see how far Cassie would go in order to change the fate she's seen. It was exciting and action-packed for sure, and I'm beyond intrigued to find out more.
There was, of course, a romance element, too. I'm not much into teen/YA romance but I didn't hate it. There was a sort of love triangle that develops, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. Even so, I was invested in Cassie's aim to save Collin, and I generally liked all the characters and enjoyed their relationships and interactions.
This was one of those proper fantasy books that you can get lost in, which is what we all need sometimes, right? It definitely was not sugarcoated - there are a lot of harsh realities, moments of grief and pain and loss, and no fairytale happy ending. But there are elements of humour, too, bittersweet memories and touching moments. It certainly left me wanting to read on. 4.5 stars.

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At first I was a bit skeptical about this going in, but it was on Read Now, and the cover was amazing, and the synopsis did get me intrigued, so I got it.

And it was worth it. Mostly.

Honestly I had so little problems with this compared to what I expected after the first 30%. The plot wasn't going anywhere, the characters were okay, but I didn't care much about them, and I just didn't care much about what happened.

But then, once I hit around 35%, I was really enjoying this! The plot I didn't care for a lot, since I wasn't completely sure what was going on, and honestly it was pretty easy to figure out who was the nefarious backstabber (there is such a thing as reading too many fantasy books and then predicting almost everything in most fantasy books), and what was going to be the main conflict.

I started getting engrossed with Reagan, Griffin, Noah, and Cassie's friendship. I wasn't much enjoying the romance, as I am wont to do in teen romances, but it wasn't too bad. Except for the love triangle. But Cassie was pretty hellbent on the love interest, so it wasn't that bad.

I loved the friendships formed, and the relationships Cassie would form with numerous people. The different teachers, with Bacchy, with the front desk guy, with the old lady from the shop, (yes, I do not remember all of their names).

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3.5 STARS

The main thing that I got from this one was that it gave me major Harry Potter vibes. There's a sort of school setting that teaches different kinds of divinatory magic, a quirky group of friends and a high stakes situation at it's core. The magic system was a little difficult to follow at times but it was a really interesting way of using magic in a realistic setting. The plot was good, a fun introduction to a new series with relatable and funny characters (I adored Griffin, so hilarious). I had a bit of a problem with the main love interest, I thought the whole situation was a bit too quick in terms of their feelings. I'm definitely interested in reading future instalments though as this was a lot of fun.

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Sadly not my cup of tea. Cassandra was ok, but the story just...i don`t know. I think i expected more of it.

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A really beautifully written book, can’t wait for number 2. It was fast paced and kept me hooked from beginning to end

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While the book seemed to drag a bit at times, after the first act, the real deal begins and the battle of the MC with OCD and anxiety are the two driving forces that set this book apart from other YA ones. Violet writes very well, I really enjoy the way she builds her characters and uses dialog, and I also loved the different mechanisms the MC found to deal with her OCD. This has been one of my most anticipated 2021 reads and I'm over the moon that it paid off. I will just put a 4 star because I felt like I needed a better explanation for the worldbuilding and I felt the ending was a bit too quick. I'll definitely follow this author around though for more updates. Thanks for giving me a chance to review it!

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This book took me quite a few months to finish, and I feel like that may play a role in the fact that I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped to. I think Violet Lumani has a gorgeous writing style and I found the book very quotable. I just found that it was a little bit too surface level, I would have liked to see her go further into some of the plot points.

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Disclaimer: I didn't finish the book, after spending month reading a few pages here and there I think it's time to put it on my dnf pile. I read about 30%.
What made me want to read this book was 1) the beautiful cover, 2) that the main character has OCD and anxiety and 3) I just like books where the main characters struggle with their abilities, I think it's always fascinating to read how someone has to grow into their powers.
But, well. This book just wasn't for me. The beginning was interesting enough but then it drags on and just wasn't holding my attention. Every time I tried to continue reading I just wasn't in the mood for it anymore after a few pages.
Maybe I'll try reading this again sometime in the future because I'm not sure if it's the book or me but at the moment I'll have to give it a pass.

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I really enjoyed this book! I loved the inclusion of OCD and how the author wove her personal experiences into the story. It certainly made it more realistic and enjoyable. It was easy to read and the story progressed really well. I especially loved the relationships between the characters and how determined Cass was to save Colin. The ending surprised me in a way, but I think it was a well-rounded story considering the plot and themes.

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Yes, an extremely late review. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

As someone who has lifelong struggles with anxiety and assorted other mental illnesses I often do not see anything in YA fantasy especially that is accurate nor sensical. While Foretold struggles within its plot and with making strong connections with characters, it is successful in depicting severe anxiety in a way that I've only seen OwnVoices writers within the genre do successfully. While I cannot speak on the depiction of OCD, the severe anxiety that Cassandra feels is something I'd wish I'd seen when I was younger (aka when I didn't over evaluate YA fantasy).

While Foretold is definitely enjoyable, it wrestles with a cheesy villain and an incredibly predictable love triangle that is incredibly infuriating.

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I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! The beginning was a bit slow but once I got into the story it was hard to put it down.

One look at the cover and I was already intrigued. When I found out it was a book with the idea of these people being able to look into the future, I was sold.

The book really picked up once the setting changed and Cassandra went to the special school for people like her. Yes you heard me, we have a magical school setting and I ate it up.

I loved getting to know the other students that later became Cass's friends and getting insight on how the lessons looked like at the school.

One thing I also really appreciated was the OCD and anxiety rep. It was handled with such care and I never felt like I was reading about a character who was defined by her OCD and anxiety. Cass just happened to have it.

I wasn't a big fan of the romance, I didn't hate it but I wasn't completely obsessed with it either.

Even though I saw many of the twists coming, especially the really big one at the end, I still had a great experience reading this book and it didn't take away from my experience. I'm pretty excited for the sequel.

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Firstly, the cover for this book is STUNNING. I am obsessed with it, that was immediately what drew me into this book. I loved the OCD focus I think that was really well written in and made it different for a change. I loved the concept of Cassandra seeing death all the time but seeing the boy she needs to change something about it. I am very happy with the fact this is the first in a series and I really hope I get to read more!

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I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

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“Foretold” came out last week!!! I enjoyed this book mainly because of the complexities of the main character and her struggles with OCD. There is a magical element because our MC has visions of the future. She attends a school to hone her ability, and it is in the school setting that I got a little confused. “The Coil” is still something I don't fully understand, but being as this is a series, I am hopeful for more information later.

The book exemplifies surprises, and I was certainly caught off guard at the end. I am looking forward to reading the following books in the series.

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The book was pretty ok. There wasn't anything inherently bad about the book, only that it was a little slow to start. I think that this read wasn't something that I normally read, so I think I kind of found my interest waining a little at times, but I do think this would be a great book for the right reader.

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this is such a great start to the Scryers trilogy, it had what I was looking for in this type of book. The characters were great and I enjoyed going on this story.

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Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the eARC!

The story really has great premise, and while it had a slow start for me, it was worth the build up to tell the story better. It’s unique, tackles more about OCD and anxiety (which, from my experience, was translated so well). The author has laid down the ground work for what I hope would be another unexpected tale come the sequel. Really looking forward to reading more 💜

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