avatarMarie Kester

Summary

The website content features a book review of "Once Upon a Broken Heart" by Stephanie Garber, discusses the sequel "The Ballad of Never After," and mentions a discontinued read, "The Gravity of Us" by Phil Stamper.

Abstract

In the recent "Behind the Book" series update, the author shares their enthusiasm for Stephanie Garber's fantasy novel "Once Upon a Broken Heart," praising it as the best fantasy read of the year so far. The book's emotional depth and engaging plot are highlighted, with comparisons to other popular fantasy works. The sequel, "The Ballad of Never After," is currently being read and is reported to maintain the high quality of the first book. Conversely, "The Gravity of Us" by Phil Stamper, a sci-fi book centered around a NASA mission to Mars, was abandoned after fifty pages due to a focus on reality TV and an unengaging main character. The author also invites readers to sign up for free book recommendations and shares links to other recent articles.

Opinions

  • "Once Upon a Broken Heart" is highly recommended for fans of whimsical fantasy stories, with the reviewer expressing a deep emotional connection and satisfaction with the characters and plot twists.
  • The sequel "The Ballad of Never After" is anticipated to be as good as its predecessor, with the author already captivated by its continuation of strong character dynamics and plot twists.
  • "The Gravity of Us" was disappointing for the reviewer, who expected a space-focused narrative but found the emphasis on a reality TV show and the main character's whininess to be off-putting, leading to the decision to stop reading.
  • The author encourages readers to engage with their content by signing up for free emails to receive updates on their latest book reviews and recommendations.

Behind the Book — Week of April 17th

I Read A Fantasy Book — And Can’t Stop Thinking About It

Here’s why you need to read ‘Once Upon a Broken Heart’

Photo by Cederic Vandenberghe on Unsplash

Welcome back to Behind the Book, the series where I review my recent reads of the week.

This week, I discovered (and quickly got obsessed with) a new fantasy series. I also gave up on a sci-fi read I was looking forward to.

Let me tell you about them:

5 Star Read: Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Once Upon a Broken Heart is probably the best fantasy book I’ve read this year (so far).

The book is the first in a fantasy series. It follows heartbroken Evangeline who makes a deal with the Prince of Hearts to stop the wedding of her unrequited love. But making a deal with a Fate is dangerous and comes at an unexpected price.

This book made me feel every emotion. I laughed and I gasped. My jaw also literally dropped multiple times while I was reading. I love the characters and couldn’t get enough of the plot.

If you like whimsical stories, I highly recommend Once Upon a Broken Heart. It feels similar to Heartless by Marissa Meyer and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.

Goodreads

Currently Reading: The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

As soon as I finished Once Upon a Broken Heart, I immediately picked up the sequel The Ballad of Never After. I am currently about a third of the way through the book, and absolutely love it!

So far, it’s as good as the first book in the series. I won’t spoil the plot, but just know it has all the great character dynamics and plot twists as the first book.

Goodreads

DNF: The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper

I was initially really excited about this book. It’s about a teen whose father is chosen for a manned NASA mission to Mars.

As someone who loves space books, I was anticipating this to be an easy and enjoyable read. Unfortunately, I gave this book about fifty pages and was bored the whole time.

It seems the book is more so about a reality tv show than about a NASA mission. I also found the main character to be really whiny.

Overall, I decided to put the book down and stop reading it. In the future, I may go back and try it again, but for now, I have no interest.

Goodreads

What are you reading this week?

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Missed any of the articles I posted this week? Read them here:

Books
Book Review
Behind The Book
Reading
Fantasy
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