Review: A court of thorns and roses

**CONTAINS SPOILERS!**
Alright, so I jumped down the SJM rabbit hole this summer and started with this series. Part of my curiosity was spurred by the controversy I've seen online over the relationship between Tamlin and Feyre. I typically find unhealthy relationships far more interesting to read about (in fiction) than healthy ones, so it didn't bother me much until the second book (that review coming up next).

Mostly, I just found myself very surprised by what passes for "young adult" nowadays. When I was a kid, Harry Potter was young adult fantasy. Eragon. The Pendragon books. Maybe I've just been off the scene for too long, but this did NOT read like young adult to me. There was some serious sex in this book. I guess I should also be grateful for that same surprise, because it has convinced me to list my own books in the 16+ YA categories.

I get it. Times change. Hell, I was reading Kushiel's Dart when I was 15. I guess we're just being more honest about it nowadays, which is great! In all, I enjoyed SJMs writing style and the world she built, but the story kind of fizzled for me for logic reasons. Like the way Tamlin sends her away at the last second. Why? If he's got nothing left to lose, why not keep her around the last day and give the romance you literally JUST started with her a chance to be expressed verbally? Also the riddle.... I mean... Duh? I get that Feyre is illiterate, but she's not dumb. I felt like she should have figured that out right off the bat. Still, this was a page-turner for me and I finished it in like a week.