Review: A Curse so Dark and Lonely

I picked this one up because I've seen it recommended a lot on IG and I mistakenly thought it was a standalone. While I found the story sweet and engaging, the prose did not impress. Still, the story itself compensated enough for me to not DNF this one. I also found myself feeling a bit of romance whiplash between the two main male characters, which can be disorienting for some readers when they don't know who to root for. (Was I the only one rooting for a Harper+Grey ending?) The final battle scene was lackluster, but I REALLY enjoyed how the main villain was ultimately countered! Best twist in the book. (Maybe the only twist, but whatever. I liked it.) I'll probably pick up the sequel sometime, but it won't send me racing to the bookstore. That being said, this is definitely a genuinely young adult book and geared toward a much younger reader than I had anticipated. Would be a great book for the 10-14 age range and I'm considering gifting it to one of my nieces for Christmas.