Yeah, this was sweet. A little, small-town magical YA novel, easy to read and well-written.

What I loved most about this book were the characters, especially Penny and her family. Being raised by a single mom and an old gay man who co-owns the café, putting on drag shows, and being a normal small-town family, until, of course, the plot happens. But the interactions between Penny and her mom are so sweet and warm, they made me feel like I was being hugged, even though I was alone on my couch. Villaire really did nail that dynamic, especially considering that Penny's mom is absent through most of the book.
Corey is another stand-out for me. He's a gentler sort of boy, especially in comparison to the other person in this love triangle, and I was so rooting for him.

And therein lies the issue.
I think I'm to old for love triangles by now. They don't hold any kind of appeal anymore. I suppose they never really did, but by now, at the ripe old age of 27 (years old - I have no money and no prospects - I am already a burden to my parents - and I'm frightened) I simply cannot be bothered to care about love triangles anymore. Especially because in this iteration, Penny clearly chose the wrong boy at the end.
But who knows. This is only the start of the series. Maybe things'll change.

Alonso, the third in this triangle, was also a standout character, but more in the negative sense. I hated his pseudo bad-boy act, and his weird relationship with Penny. There's a sentence near the end of the book, and I'm sorry that I don't remember it exactly, but it was something like this: "Penny wouldn't have wanted him to act impulsively, but if she truly wanted that, she wouldn't have worn that dress." And I was just like, "ew!". It also seemed like Penny didn't even really have chemistry with him; she's always happier and more balanced in Corey's presence. But then, these are teenagers. Nothing they do feels rational to me, since I am now ten years older than they are, and tbh, I don't really remember much of being a teenager. Seems like a Me issue, I suppose.

That's another thing, though. I'm not sure I can say that I have aged out of YA, since I still read and actively enjoy both my old favorites and new iterations of the genre, but this one felt especially juvenile to me. Sure, there is a vague sex scene, but there was just such youth and inexperience that permeated both the story and the plot - it all felt very strange. Maybe I really am just getting old. But ultimately, I can't change how I feel. I know a lot of people will love this book, and I would totally recommend it for others, but for me ... I'll stick to something else. Just need to figure out what.

The Glittering Edge by Alyssa Villaire is pure art in book form. I couldn't stop reading this book. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good.

Generation long feuds, curses and a really inconvenient love triangle.

This book is a story of hope, fueled by visions, magic and idlewoods twisted and often forgotten history. Compared to romeo and juliet we have penny, as our juliet and when her mum becomes the curses most recent victim, enemies corey and alonso come together to try and help stop the curse and the fued between their families for good, and potentially vie for penny's heart in the process.

Complex, this covers history throughout the town of idlewood, trying to untangle the lies from the truth and find out whats been hidden. Though darks in its origins, magic brings the idea of hope in this tragic tale, although it's hard to be inconspicuous when our trio are seen around town together and many are shocked that alonso and corey are even breathing the same air. Within the underlying villainy, we see racism and white preference addressed which i feel was done well, especially considering it's set within the fragile environment of a singular family. It includes a diverse range of characters from BIPOC, Queer and more which is vital in progressive literature that reflects the world around the reader.

The development in this book leaves you attached and invested in the characters, and with it ends i somehow still want more. I vehemently disagree with the middle review average that is present on review platforms at my time of completion, I loved this book and I hope with its ending there's room for Alyssa to explore more of our trio and their wider journey more. I feel the ending in particular has been left as somewhat of a cliffhanger so that if desired we may get more but that if not it can be safely satisfying as a standalone.

I don't read much YA anymore but this was a welcome return to the genre bringing in aspects I loved in all the best YA books. Great cast of characters with strong bonds of friendship and an engaging plot. Brilliant.

You better believe me when I say this book instilled the same level of obsession The Raven Boys brought out of me back in the day. This is the perfect blend of both that and Practical Magic, which I didn’t even realise I needed until now.

The Glittering Edge became a new favourite book within a matter of chapters, and I had the joy of experiencing that bubble of excitement you get when reading what is for sure about to end a 5 star read. For readers like me who love character driven stories, this is a book that will catch you and keep you entangled with our main trio and all of their shenanigans. The stakes are high, the familial and friend units are strong, and the occult themes are just perfect for this setting. Our teenagers actually feel like teens as they jump into their plans with abandon, and arguments between friends and parents hit where it hurts most. It’s all so seamlessly written, getting into the story and believing it wholeheartedly was truly effortless.

This is genuinely one of the best YA fantasy books I’ve read, and I implore every fan of The Raven Boys especially to give this a read.


P.S. I will defend Alonso with my LIFE