Lianna

I think if I had annotated this book and read a physical copy or ebook, I would have enjoyed it more. That said, I still really enjoyed it, I just don't think audiobook is the way to go for this one. My main issue was that the book started kind of slow, so I found myself tuning out quite frequently and then struggling to figure out what was going on when I tuned back in. What made it more difficult was the multiple points of view, so I couldn't keep track of the different story lines super easily. The things I loved about the book were the diverse writing styles for each perspective which made it a bit easier to keep track of the story, the diverse characters and their unique backgrounds, especially how they all intertwined at the end. I also LOVED the climax and the ending. It was written so well, and was full of emotional scenes. The ending was super captivating and definitely made it a book that I would consider going back and rereading in the future so I can annotate it and get more from the story.

Honestly, I really should have DNFed this book, but I was stubborn since I own it. I listened to the audiobook which might be part of the reason I didn't enjoy this one so much, but I've also seen reviews saying that they only way they enjoyed the book was with the audiobook, so who knows. I just really struggled to pay attention since there was so much description but very little actual plot, so all of the flowery language kept letting me get distracted. Also, I think one reason the audiobook probably wasn't the way to go was that the book jumps around in time which I didn't realize until about 3/4 of the way through. If I'd had the physical copy, maybe I would have paid more attention to the dates listed in the chapter titles. I can definitely see how some people would enjoy this book, but if you need something with a bit more substance, I don't think this book is for you.

ABC*E*GHI**LMNOP*RSTUVWXY*

Such an interesting novel, not to mention creative! I was so blown away by the author's ability to tell this story while removing an increasing number of letters from his availability. This novel got my thought secretions going about our language use, plus how much communication can collapse once enough letters have been given extraction. While absorbing this novel, the persistent thought that characters might want to resort to sign language when necessary gave me regular pause; I was so content once a comment on sign language was given mention. I also was really happy with the balance of character growth and plot evolution through all the letters between characters. Honestly, I believe not this writing might be any more consummate. I certainly plan to suggest it to everyone possible in the time to come.

(Original review before editing to remove certain "illegal" letters)

Such an interesting and creative book! I was so blown away by the author's ability to tell this story while removing an increasing number of letters from his availability. This book made me think about our use of language and how much communication would deteriorate once enough letters are removed. While reading this book, I kept thinking that the characters could resort to sign language when necessary, and I was so pleased once a comment on sign language was mentioned. I also really enjoyed the balance of character development and plot development through all of the letters between characters. Honestly, I don't think this writing could be any more perfect. I definitely plan to recommend it to everyone possible in the future.

This book was absolutely *chef's kiss*. I loved the development of Nesta's character, and of course Maas did a wonderful job of weaving seemingly inconsequential details into the plot that made for such an incredible climax to the book. I also thought that the balance between smut and plot was perfect. I have read other books that are super smutty and have very few other scenes that contribute to the plot which tend to leave me bored. Not this book, though! Plenty of spicy scenes with lots of variety but still lots of actual plot to keep me interested. I definitely thought ACOMAF was my favorite book in the series, but now I'm having trouble deciding between the two!

I really enjoyed this short story. I think the progression of the story was really well done, and the psychological breakdown happened so smoothly despite how quickly it progressed. Especially as someone working in a healthcare profession, I really quite enjoyed the exchanges between the main character and her husband and comparing modern practices to the historical context. The only thing that is nagging at me is that the story is written as journal entries from the main character, and during the last entry, I really struggled to imagine her in this highly psychotic state where she is stuck pushing around the room and then shortly turn around and write about what happened. All in all, though, I thought this was a very memorable story and would recommend it to anyone.