Member Reviews
This was a fun, romantic and clever Young Adult novel by Ann Davila Cardinal. I loved The Storyteller's Death and Five Midnights by this author. She has a very unique way to create an atmospheric, creative and fun novel about falling hard for the wrong guy.
Thank you netgally for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook!
The narrator did such a great job with this audiobook, there was a lull in the plot super early on but I found the narrator carried it into the rising action! I loved the side characters though I found myself looking for more queer rep than this offered, I do however think this book should have been adult, and may need a cover that better reflects some of the darker aspects of this. I can see myself recommending this but not necessarily as a young adult book. Be sure to check trigger warnings before picking this one up.
This was a supernatural lovers to enemies and I ate this story up! It was such a fun and entertaining read for me, while having themes of growing up, identity and importance of family (Abuela) and friends who become family! I loved the main character, Mica and as I kept reading on, I felt like I was rooting for her so much. When I read YA books like this, I think about how a younger me would have LOVED this story. I def felt like I was watching a tv series! The love interest, Sam had a big secret he was keeping which once was revealed made the story really snowball, making the story feel like nonstop action! Some parts had me shook and others actually made me laugh out loud.
It's always when things seem to be going well with your crush, but they turn out to be not as great as you thought.. It's even worse when he turns out to be the spawn on satan send to make you his queen and rule the world, but that's exactly what happens to our protagonist. With the help of her friends and protective abuela she saves the world and gets her young life back on track. This book has romance, adventure, healthy friendships and family relationships, and a wicked sense of humor. Some details will be lost on readers without a Catholic background but they could still follow the adventure
Breakup from Hell follows Mica, who wants nothing to escape her boring small town in Vermont. Mica is sick of her Abuela keeping secrets about her family and being more than overly protective of her. So when she meets Sam at church, she instantly seizes the opportunity to get close to him. But soon, strange things happen around Mica, and she realizes that Sam may not be who he says he is.
The thing that drew me to the book was the beautiful cover of the book. Its edge but cute made me want to get my hands on it as fast as I could. Thankfully I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley and Harper Teen. So thank you so much, Netgalley and Harper Teen, for allowing me to listen to this audiobook exchange for an honest review.
When I realized this book was based in Vermont, I was beyond excited since I grew up in a small town in Vermont. You could tell right away that the writer of this novel is from Vermont from the names of the cities being dropped, the locations, and even the mentioning of Alchemist Brewery. A place that I had been to multiple times growing up.
They are even mentioning that Stowe, where the book takes place, is full of two types of people, the working class and the wealthy, who have vacation homes. This is true for most of Vermont, and it made me laugh when the main character stated that. I've seen other writers try to describe Vermont, but this writer did it right, even though I may have enjoyed growing up in Vermont more than this main character.
I loved the friends in this novel, although I feel like the friends could have been more developed. I kept forgetting who was who, and that is a huge issue. We also have one of her friends who has psyche talents, but none of that is explained, and no one seems to think that is a big deal. That being said, I loved the scenes where the friends were together; it was fun and full of adventure. I would have loved this book more if the characters had developed more.
Religion is woven throughout this book, from using bible verses for each chapter to some characters inspired by the bible. Although I wasn't a massive fan of this, I would have enjoyed it more if the book had taken a step away from the religious aspect and focused more on how character development. I wouldn't suggest reading this book if you have religious trauma.
Now for the love interest Sam, I honestly would have been screwed if I was a teenager. After all, I was obsessed with being kidnapped by a vampire. So if Sam wanted me to run away with him, I would jump ship fast. Of course, that isn't precisely what Mica did, which I understand, but part of me still ship them. This book's romance was fluffy, fun, and part of your (or is it just me) roots for Sam. There is another love interest, but they feel like a background character.
The villains. The villains could be better developed, but they were fun, dare I say that. Most of the time, I was laughing at their antics, which took away from the seriousness of the issue they were facing. But hey, this is a YA novel, so it has to be fun with some aspects.
This is the one for you if you want a quick read that feels more like a goosebumps book. If you want a more in-depth book, skip this one.
3/5 stars
BREAKUP FROM HELL is a darkly funny book about friendship, family, and the worst breakup ever. While there's a lot to love about this book, Mica's voice is what drew me in and kept me moving along. I also loved all of Mica's friends -- who each had their own distinct personality and were truly a family to her and her abuela -- and, of course, I adored Abuela. Unfortunately, the computerized recording butchered a lot of the Spanish sprinkled throughout the book, but I imagine that the right narrator would read it as effortlessly as Mica and Abuela use it.
Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy for review.
There will be no review foor this title until harper collins meets the union at the bargaining table in good faith.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the advanced copy of this book. I must reiterate that the synthesized “narrator” is hella creepy. Would not recommend (except that because of my eye condition, it’s still better than eARCs, unfortunately.)
What a fun, easy read! Great for fans of Wednesday or Buffy, and with a cast as uproarious as their odd (yet symbolic) names, Mica and crew are a delight. There’s some relatable teen drama/rebellion and angst, along with flutterings of (super shallow) “love.” And having a MC who is an avid fantasy/horror reader was fun!
I went into this without knowing anything about the book and from the cover thought oh a cute YA rom com where the boy ends up being a demon or something and it kind of starts that way. But then it takes a turn that I was pleasantly surprised with. My Buffy-loving heart was so happy with this book! It was fast, built quickly and I enjoyed the characters. The book has references to Catholic mythology that you don't need any background knowledge of that religion other than God and Satan to follow. If you enjoy YA books about friendship, breakups, and demons then this one is for you.
I am very thankful to receive an advanced copy through net galley.
My review of this will be released when HarperCollins negotiates a living wage with their union workers.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eAudio. 3.5/5 stars
I thought I was getting a cute romcom...boy was I wrong. Teenagers are descended from angels and come into their powers to prevent the spawn of Satan from stealing a priceless relic and turning Earth into Hell. Like...WHAT? The romance part at the beginning is cute but also like why did no one see the many many many red flags with Sam.... just saying.
I really enjoyed the narrator and enjoyed this audiobook.
Withholding my review till the HarperCollins union strike is over. This strike has gone on for far to long.
Breakup From Hell; a fun and interesting twist to your classic Romeo and Juliet tale. Enter demons and angels and the things we need to learn and embrace about ourselves. I think this was an enjoyable, but mediocre read. There isn't anything that particularly sticks with me, but I'm not sorry I read it. Overall I did enjoy the writing style and the flow of the story. If it sounds interesting to you, give it a read.
The narrator for my copy was AI. I think with the right narrator, this would be a fun listen.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC of this!
This was a fast paced and fun read, full of friends, family, and angels and demons fighting. I binged it in one day and really enjoyed the characters and pacing. Overall, I enjoyed it.
I will be providing an honest review of this book. It is written for a teen audience. The main lead's emotional journey was a journey to get through. The dialogue was superficial and repetitive. The one thing that kept me reading was the main premise of the book which was wonderful. I loved the premise! It is what made me want to read the book in the first place. I just wished by the end of the book the lead was more emotional matured. I still would recommend this book to a teen that also joy this genre of books.
I know that this audiobook specifically isn’t a human generated one, but in this case it killed all of what I would say made the book interesting. I’m looking forward to reading it myself to see how I like the story.
Fun, fast-paced story. I loved Mica. She was strong-willed, spunky and so smart! I loved how she stood her ground, pushed for what she wanted and always tired to look at everything clear-eyed and level headed. Her friend group was great - I loved their connection, their witty banter and their adorable memories and traditions. Z was especially intriguing since she'd been putting up with a more troubling ability for awhile and had been sruggling. I also appreciated Abuela and how much she tried to care and love Mica. Even if she wasn't always supportive (and she kept secrets), she was a rock that Mica and her friends needed.
The story is a little over the top but in all the best ways. I mean, the hot new guy in town with only eyes for Mica - of course he has a wicked smile and fire in his eyes! I loved the few references to other books and silly stories. This is definitely geared toward a younger YA but I didn't mind. It was cute and entertaining and I enjoyed it! I enjoyed this audio over one long trip across state lines and consuming it all at once definitely helped me keep characters and storyline straight.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an audiobook via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Content warnings for grotesque imagery. I wasn’t expecting it. (Melting skin, burning flesh…)
We learn far too many things from our main character sneaking around and overhearing. The pacing is inconsistent but I didn’t hate it. Mica was the immature push-back-against-authority cookie cutter lead. Sam was the typical wealthy morally-gray love interest.
Lucifer crossed with Buffy. Do kids still like those shows? Now I feel old.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the ARC.
Breakup From Hell was entertaining, fast-paced, and fun to read. When you break up with the son of Satan, it might literally mean the end of the world. It is a YA fantasy, mixed with elements of Catholic Lore, horror, and the paranormal. There were also many moments with lots of humor. Fans for Lucifer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Supernatural will enjoy this.
However, I did find the writing a little choppy, the pacing was often uneven. Parts of the book were slow, others were fast. It took me a while to get into the story, and I wasn’t hooked until the last quarter of the book.
Fun YA paranormal Romance with a morally grey love interest ! Really enjoyed this one. Def had some twists I wasn’t expecting !