content warnings: death of parent, body horror, emotional abuse

in the living, breathing city of vaiwyn, mina acts as a keeper to take care of the bells and prevent them from ringing, lest they awaken an evil force. one day, though, her bell rings thirteen times, and no one knows what kind of danger this will entail. the soul of a power-hungry saint has been let loose and hides behind the face of a citizen. mina works to find and destroy the saint’s host to save her city.

i’ve been so excited to read this book since hearing about it! i enjoy reading books inspired by central and eastern european cultures, and this book was based on a legend from prague. i really liked how the setting played into this story!

i loved the main character, mina. she had to step into this position a bit abruptly after losing her father, who had the job before her. the relationship between mina and her boyfriend, max, was explored so well. oftentimes, when the mc starts the book in a relationship, their partner sucks and they eventually break up. however, i really liked max and how their relationship grew throughout the book.

i’d recommend this to anyone looking for a YA fantasy with a unique setting. i can’t wait for whatever’s next from elle tesch!

There are some really imaginative fantasy novels coming out in the YA market in the last few years, and I am absolutely loving it. The cover copy of the book reminded me a little bit of Where the Dark Stands Still by A. B. Poranek, which I read last year and adored.

I think the writing is a little more straightforward than Poranek’s, but not in a bad way. Maybe it’s simply that this book focuses on descriptions of magical things that are more familiar to us– walls, doorways, etc.– rather than ancient enchanted forests.

I could see this book appealing to readers who enjoy Francesca Zappia. This one feels somewhere in the middle between Katzenjammer, Zappia’s weird, contemporary fantasy in which the school students find themselves trapped in is alive, and Greymist Fair, a fairytale-esque fantasy and murder mystery.

Though it’s not specified, the words Mina uses to describe her relationship with romance and sex led me to think of her as on the asexual spectrum, maybe demisexual? At one point, she has a conversation with another character who doesn’t feel romantic attraction to others, and they both ultimately feel less alone after comparing notes on their identities. That was a sweet moment. I appreciated that they didn’t have the language to label themselves and how that left them more isolated, but that they ultimately connected and felt seen anyway. It’s a minor note in the whole story, but beautiful nonetheless.

On the whole, I enjoyed this book. It’s a layered, complex story that delivers on its promises. I’m excited to see what Tesch writes next.

I wasn't able to get into this book. . I think if I read it more in the fall then I would of devoured this book. I was so excited for it :(

I LOVED this book! I felt immersed in the world pretty immediately and loved picking up all the clues along the way. I was engrossed from start to finish and can't wait to read more by Ell Tesch!

absolutely obsessed with this book, I was so thankful to receive an ARC copy, unfortunately I wasn't able to post a review before it's publication date due to medical circumstances. However Elle Tesch did a phenomenal job blending YA fantasy into a gothic horror reminiscent of Between Two Fires. This book was simply un-put-downable and I cannot wait to see what Tesch accomplishes next in her writing career.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

unfortunately dnf @ 15%

i was just not interested in the characters or world-building, but i’m sure this book will find its audience.

Beautiful writing, very engaging! I appreciated the gothic atmosphere that Tesch created, as well as the overall pacing of the plot. Definitely will want to read more from her in the future!

The cover art for the book was stunning and initially drew me to the book, and the premise sounded incredibly atmospheric and intriguing. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time with this book. The world building was confusing at times and difficult to follow. The writing style felt disconnected while simultaneously excessive. This book was disappointingly not for me.

DNF. Unrated in official review.

I was unfortunately a little disappointed in this one. While the concept is very interesting and I loved the setting, the book suffered from being overwritten. Here's a sentence that I highlighted to help illustrate what I mean: "Ice melted from the city's warmth flowing beneath the silver-threaded cobbles curls steam around us." The book is littered with sentences like this that are hard to parse through. Maybe this was cleaned up in the final version, but I did have to reread this sentence several times before I could figure out what it was describing. And every time a description like this came up, I was immediately taken out of the story.

The other thing that made me put this book down was the feeling that the characters were not really driving the story. This is really noticeable in the inciting incident of the story, wherein we have two back-to-back scenes of Mina either missing her bell's ringing or being absent when a crisis occurred at her bell tower. Mina is a character who is supposed to care a lot about proving herself. Proving that she is capable of continuing the family legacy and protecting her city is her main motivation. And her job is pretty simple -- all you have to do is be at a bell tower at exactly 1 o'clock (both AM and PM) to cut the clapper off the bell. This is a job that would maybe take twenty minutes out of her day, if she wants to be at her post a little early. Yet, despite how easy the job looks and how desperate she is to prove herself, Mina is just late for her job in one scene and then leaves her post in the next. It is convenient for the plot, but it doesn't make sense for the character.

Like I said before, the setting is probably the best part of this book. The living city is very neat, and I appreciated the way the representation (it takes place in a non-heteronormative society). But I think the book needed a lot more editing to sharpen the prose.

3.5 stars

What Wakes the Bells was a promising debut fantasy. The writing is beautiful and I loved the gothic atmosphere of this living city. However, I struggled to connect with the characters. Impulsive and quick to anger, Mina felt a lot younger than she was supposed to be. She failed to acknowledge her own mistakes or even consider the impact of her actions on others. I also didn't love that the romance was fully established at the start of the book. I understand if the author didn't want to make it a big part of the story but I would have liked to see it woven throughout the story a little bit more. The plot was generic and very predictable but it was fast-paced enough to still be engaging.

This was a riveting story. I have to admit I was initally confused about the city being alive but once it was explained that it was made out of an ancient magical being, it all made sense. Mina and Max were everything. They cared so much for each other and it showed immensely in their story. I also really loved the idea of the Saints walking among everyone without them knowing. I appreciated that they still tried to help the city without revealing who they were. Issac and Mina's sibling relationship was also really adorable. I'm not usually one for completely amicable sibling relationships but Mina really needed a kind, caring person like Issac in her family.

I had a tough time with this one and it took me much longer to read than it normally would, which is a pretty sure sign that I am not particularly enjoying a book. I was really excited about WHAT WAKES THE BELLS because I used to live in Czechia and love that little country with all my heart. But this novel, even though the writing was lovely and I liked certain scenes a great deal, was a bit of a slog to get through. The characters, aside from maybe protagonist Mina, were quite flat and one-dimensional, particularly Mina's beloved Max, who plays a really important role in the story. I couldn't help but think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 2 while reading (and, tbh, wishing I was watching Buffy instead), because there are quite a few similarities between that season and this novel, and wishing Tesch had borrowed a few tricks from the Angel/Angelus storyline for Max...or something to make his character and what happens to him more dynamic!

I liked Tesch's writing enough to give her second book a try and will keep my fingers crossed that I like it more than this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group & Elle Tesch for the e-arc!

I was honestly super excited about this read! With such an interesting blurb, I had such high expectations. Unfortunately, I feel as though everything fell a bit flat.

First, let me acknowledge the uniqueness of the plot and world the author created. That was the main thing that kept me interested enough in finishing this novel. The characters felt very static and one-dimensional. It seemed like they were given basically one character trait that the author just took and ran with. I really wish we were given more backstory about the characters besides the one or two points that were consistently harped on.

The world, as well, felt very underdeveloped. I enjoyed the ways the villain of the story affected the city of Vaiwyn, but I feel like there could’ve been so much more effort put into the world building. And I usually don’t even like that much world building. But I felt zero connection with the world and the characters. It felt like so much was said, but it was just the same points recycled in different ways over and over again. Almost like the author was just trying their best to hit a certain word count.

I did appreciate the demi representation in the fmc, Mina. I feel like you don’t get a lot of demi or ace representation in literature, so having that be one of Mina’s (only) defining traits was pretty refreshing!

I’m really sad that I didn’t like this more. I feel like the author now needs to write a prequel so we can learn a little bit more about the Saints, the city, the lore, and the characters.

What Wakes the Bells was good but not memorable or great. The worldbuilding had such potential and sounded so intriguing, however characters were not developed enough and I didn't feel a strong connection to anyone or anything happening.

What Wakes the Bells had all the promise when it comes to gothic vibes and a good YA fantasy. I will say, I really enjoyed the unique setting and world the author builds throughout the story. Unfortunately, this fell a little flat when it came to hyping up the villain and I saw the big twist from a mile away. I also felt as if Mina doesn’t really develop much as a character and the resolution to the conflict felt a little too easy. I loved Max and Isaac as characters - they were definitely the highlights! I haven’t seen much ace spectrum representation, so it was refreshing to see that with Mina and how her relationship developed overtime with Max. I’m glad What Wakes the Bells ended how it and believe it was a great way to wrap up a standalone book. I couldn’t rate this any higher because nothing really took the story to the next level for me and I mostly stuck around for the side characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Feiwel and Friends, and the author for sending me an early copy!

Between the cool, unique setting and the gorgeous cover, this was a book I salivated to read. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations.

Good things first. The living city of Vaiwyn is atmospheric and fascinating. I honestly wish we’d gotten more detail of how people live their day-to-day lives there. The Saints were, likewise, really interesting, and again, I wish we’d gotten more. More backstory, more internality, just MORE. And here’s a compliment I don’t always get to give—the pace and tension were top-notch. The plot barreled forward and kept me turning the pages.

This last part is extra impressive, because not liking the main character often hurts tension. And I’m sad to report, I did not care for Mina. Right off the bat, I found her intensely self-absorbed. Sure, her city’s in crisis, but what about <I>her</I> feelings of guilt, and <I>her</I> feeling left out, and <I>her</I> mommy issues. There was a point right around the middle where I genuinely believed Mina was going through much-needed character growth. I was PREPARED to go from disliking to liking her. It’s happened before. If anything, characters I start with a grudge against, who manage to overcome it, often earn my love. Unfortunately, my hopes proved short-lived, with Mina going in guns-blazing for justice on behalf of another character, only to a) make it about herself again, and b) forgive her very culpable mother, when the mother starts being nice to <i>her</i>.

To add insult to injury, Mina proves nnnnnot that bright. Other characters constantly have to point obvious solutions out to her. Especially in the climax, which robs her of any shreds of agency she might have had.

Aside from Mina, the book’s otherwise terrific novelty value is undermined by the predictability of its twists. The moment the big bad was introduced, I immediately called who his host would turn out to be. When another character was name-checked, I clocked their connection to Mina in no time.

The big bad is a one-dimensional creeper, which is a huge waste, as the narrative he’s in calls for someone compelling and tragic. He manages neither.

On the positive end of things, I did like the portrayal of Mina’s demisexuality. It felt pretty authentic and served as good rep.

If Tesch writes a prequel about the Saints and Vaiwyn’s creation, I’m here for it. As for Mina, I have had more than enough of her, thanks.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.

Admittedly I did not love this one like I thought I would. A lot of it boarded on "OK," or typical YA, with glimmers of something greater if the writer had been pushed more. A fairly standard YA setting, with worldbuilding that felt too aesthetic-based and shallow. The descriptive metaphors felt a bit over top at times, as if the author was trying too hard to sound pretty and came across as being "too much." Ultimately, the characters fell flat also, with Mina--the protagonist--being interesting and times, but her relationships with pretty much every other secondary character was, much like the worldbuilding, shallow and undiscovered. A cool premise that did not live up to its promise.

A generous 3 stars from me. This book ended up being rather disappointing. The premise is phenomenal. A city that is alive and turns against its people when a dark magic is awoken in it's veins. I mean, there is so much potential in this! And some of it was explored, but it feels like we barely dip a toe in the water. There's essentially no world building, no back story, not enough build up between scenes and so on. The characters are fairly flat and there's really just no history (that's shared with us at least). The most painful part about it is that IT'S THERE. Like, we get glimpses of these elements, but they're just never elaborated on. This book should have and could have been twice as long from just world building and character backlog/dialogue. I can appreciate maybe the author wanted to keep this a stand alone, but you've got to have better meat on the bones if it's gonna carry all the weight of an entire, engaging story in one book. And there was just no meat on those beautiful bones. :( Elle Tesch is definitely a gifted writer and I did enjoy reading her work, but I just ultimately wanted so much more from this one. Also, shout out to the cover artist/designers, it's perfect.

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group & Elle Tesch for the e-arc!

✨✨Vibes the book has:
- Murderous Gargoyle statues
- A Sentient City! (YES the city is alive and has feelings)
- Gothic, mysterious atmosphere 🌫️
- Higher beings like Saints
- Magical Bells that needs to be looked after 👀
- Messy Family Dynamics 🥴
- A protective, cinnamon roll- brother 🥰 (might have been my favourite)
- An Established couple
- Demi Romance

Honestly, if this book ever gets adapted into a movie, it would be absolutely incredible! It’s packed with those vibes above. It felt like I’d stepped into a Tim Burton-esque dream world, but with even sharper edges. Elle, the author, deserves so much praise for her ability to paint this hauntingly beautiful world. The city of Vaiwyn came alive in my mind through her vivid descriptions—so much so that it felt like I was watching the scenes unfold rather than reading about them. I’ll admit the world-building was a bit overwhelming at times (as fantasy worlds often can be). But once I got through it, I was rewarded with something truly beautiful.

One thing I adored was how the story had an established romantic relationship. It was refreshing to see a couple who were already together, and their dynamic was so soft, kind, and sweet—a real balm amidst the darker tones of the story. I found myself rooting for them not just to survive but to hold onto their precious connection. And as I always say, a great story needs a compelling villain, and this one nailed it. He was menacing, mysterious, and undeniably captivating. I was a little disappointed we didn’t get more scenes or dialogue from him because, honestly, every time he spoke, I was like, “Please, just keep talking.”.

The family dynamics were fascinating & messy. The mom? Totally unredeemable for me. But the amazing brother more than made up for it—honestly, everyone deserves someone like him in their life.

The twists and turns were fun to follow, even if some of them were a bit predictable. What I enjoyed most was watching Mina piece everything together. She felt real, flawed, and determined, which made her journey satisfying. The ending took me by surprise—I didn’t see it coming—but I have to admit, I was expecting a bit more from the final battle. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but I wanted that extra oomph to make it truly unforgettable.

++++++ Elle also has her own playlist cured for this — it’s a must listen with the book!!

What Wakes the Bells has all the elements of a dark, atmospheric fantasy—an ancient city with a mind of its own, eerie lore surrounding the bells, and a creeping sense of dread as the city turns against its people. The premise is unique, and the concept of a slumbering evil tied to the ringing of the bells had me intrigued from the start.

However, despite the fascinating setup, I found myself struggling to stay engaged. The worldbuilding, while immersive, felt dense at times, making it difficult to connect with the characters or maintain momentum in the story. Mina’s struggle to uncover the Saint’s host should have been gripping, but the pacing felt sluggish, and the stakes didn’t fully pull me in.

While this book wasn’t the right fit for me, readers who enjoy lush, intricate fantasy worlds with slow-burning tension may have better luck. The gothic horror elements and city-as-a-character premise are compelling, but ultimately, I found myself unable to push through to the end.