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El libro de los secretos vivientes
El libro de los secretos vivientes es una novela de Madeleine Roux, escritora perteneciente a la lista de autores best-seller del New York Times. Dos chicas se transportan a al mundo de su libro favorito, en el que se encontrarán con una siniestra realidad alterna que las espera. No importa qué tan diferentes sean las mejores amigas Adelle y Connie, siempre han tenido en común su amor por una novela de romance gótico poco conocida, llamada Moira. Las chicas son tentadas por un hombre misterioso a entrar al mundo del libro, y aunque al principio no lo creían posible, pronto se encontrarán en el mundo de Moira, viviendo entre los personajes por los que se han obsesionado por años. Solo que no todo es como lo recordaban. El mundo se ha puesto de cabeza. Los extraordinarios bailes y las desventuras amorosas ahora se entrelazan con horrores indescriptibles. Las chicas saben que algo siniestro acecha en su incursión por la ficción, y tendrán que reescribir sus propias historias si quieren escapar vivas de esta pesadilla
416 pages, Paperback
First published March 8, 2022
335 people are currently reading
22538 people want to read
About the author
Madeleine Roux
50 books4,866 followersNew York Times Bestselling Author of the ASYLUM series, Allison Hewitt Is Trapped, Sadie Walker Is Stranded and the upcoming House of Furies series.
MADELEINE ROUX received her BA in Creative Writing and Acting from Beloit College in 2008. In the spring of 2009, Madeleine completed an Honors Term at Beloit College, proposing, writing and presenting a full-length historical fiction novel. Shortly after, she began the experimental fiction blog Allison Hewitt Is Trapped. Allison Hewitt Is Trapped quickly spread throughout the blogosphere, bringing a unique serial fiction experience to readers.
Born in Minnesota, she now lives and works in Seattle, Washington.
MADELEINE ROUX received her BA in Creative Writing and Acting from Beloit College in 2008. In the spring of 2009, Madeleine completed an Honors Term at Beloit College, proposing, writing and presenting a full-length historical fiction novel. Shortly after, she began the experimental fiction blog Allison Hewitt Is Trapped. Allison Hewitt Is Trapped quickly spread throughout the blogosphere, bringing a unique serial fiction experience to readers.
Born in Minnesota, she now lives and works in Seattle, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 749 reviews
April 10, 2022
Pomysł na historię? Fenomenalny. Dwie przyjaciółki za sprawą ekscentrycznego sprzedawcy w sklepie ezoterycznym przenoszą się do akcji swojej ukochanej książki.
Niestety, w fabule, w której lądują, nie ma nic z romansu, który tak uwielbiają. Jest za to wiele mroku, tajemnic i niebezpieczeństw.
I o ile koncept brzmi wspaniale, o tyle wykonanie jest dla mnie po prostu średnie.
To była fajna książka do poczytania, ale nie jestem pewna czy pozostanie w mojej głowie na dłużej niż kilka dni. Wiele rzeczy dzieje się w niej ZA SZYBKO. Jesteśmy wrzuceni właściwie bezpośrednio w akcję - ledwie poznajemy bohaterki, a tu bach - one są w świecie książki. Bach - poznają bohaterów. Bach - są zauroczenia. Bach - akcja, nowe postaci, zero pogłębienia starych.
Wracałam do tej książki z przyjemnością, ale przykro mi, że została napisana mocno „powierzchownie”, a wiele wątków nie zostało rozwiniętych.
Niestety, w fabule, w której lądują, nie ma nic z romansu, który tak uwielbiają. Jest za to wiele mroku, tajemnic i niebezpieczeństw.
I o ile koncept brzmi wspaniale, o tyle wykonanie jest dla mnie po prostu średnie.
To była fajna książka do poczytania, ale nie jestem pewna czy pozostanie w mojej głowie na dłużej niż kilka dni. Wiele rzeczy dzieje się w niej ZA SZYBKO. Jesteśmy wrzuceni właściwie bezpośrednio w akcję - ledwie poznajemy bohaterki, a tu bach - one są w świecie książki. Bach - poznają bohaterów. Bach - są zauroczenia. Bach - akcja, nowe postaci, zero pogłębienia starych.
Wracałam do tej książki z przyjemnością, ale przykro mi, że została napisana mocno „powierzchownie”, a wiele wątków nie zostało rozwiniętych.
March 11, 2022
The Book of Living Secrets was interesting. I was pretty excited to jump into this one since the synopsis said it was perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood. Which, I definitely loved that book, so it hyped me up for this one. Unfortunately, things just didn't work out the way I thought they would.
In this, you will meet Adelle and Connie. Now I liked these two and the world that they were thrown into. Yes, the world of Moira was definitely intriguing until you actually met the person. I wasn't the biggest fan of Moira for most of the book. Okay, all of the book. She was completely horrible, and I don't understand how Adelle just sat through it all. Especially during one scene.
Other than that, towards the end everything felt pretty rushed. I kind of wished we got more chapters so that things could slow down a bit. Or maybe even another book out of this because I just couldn't keep track of what was going down. It could just be me thinking that though.
Also, the epilogue really confused me and I'm not sure that was supposed to happen.
In this, you will meet Adelle and Connie. Now I liked these two and the world that they were thrown into. Yes, the world of Moira was definitely intriguing until you actually met the person. I wasn't the biggest fan of Moira for most of the book. Okay, all of the book. She was completely horrible, and I don't understand how Adelle just sat through it all. Especially during one scene.
Other than that, towards the end everything felt pretty rushed. I kind of wished we got more chapters so that things could slow down a bit. Or maybe even another book out of this because I just couldn't keep track of what was going down. It could just be me thinking that though.
Also, the epilogue really confused me and I'm not sure that was supposed to happen.
May 29, 2022
This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library
I was super interested in reading this book as I was - and still am - going through a phase where I want to read about people who step into stories.
The blurb totally drew me in: two contemporary teen girls literally (and literarily) enter the world of their favourite book, gothic romance Moira, only to find it's not the lush opulent world they thought it would be. Instead, the story takes on a cosmic horror twist straight out of the Necronomicon, which was absolutely not alluded to in the blurb. The blurb only mentions 'unspeakable horrors', 'something dark', and 'nightmare', which quite frankly could have been Jack the Ripper for all it promises.
There is no mention that this is a cosmic horror book where Cthulhu literally makes a guest appearance, although He is not named, and quite frankly the cameo could be lost on a reader who doesn't know about the Elder Gods. I only do because my husband is lowkey obsessed with H.P. Lovecraft.
So I am trying desperately to keep in mind that the marketers did this author dirty with its promotion, because if I knew it contained tentacled monsters eating dreamless sleepwalkers and other monstrosities, I would not have picked it up. I was drawn to the promise of two modern girls discovering their favourite romance novel might not be everything they think it is, not someone else's intellectual property taking centre stage. As such, the worldbuilding felt really weird, because, on the one hand, we had this Boston from a hundred and fifty or so years ago. But on the other hand was someone else's intellectual property. And on the third hand, we had the stuff that was set in the novel, just never talked about (those poor filthy beggars, this isn't Les Miserable, it's bloody Bridgerton).
That being said, everything that had nothing to do with the Elder Gods was fun to read. It's when the cosmic horror began that my interest dropped, and it took me months to finish this.
And before you tell me Cthulhu wasn't in this novel, let me provide a direct quote:
As well as plenty of references to the Old or Elder Gods.
I really liked Adelle and Connie's characterisation and their relationship with each other. I was afraid they would grow apart, but their friendship remained firm and true. Yay girl power! I especially loved Connie's inner struggle with coming to terms with her own sexuality. I am a big fan of female friendship.
I loved the Moira sections because the author kindly provided the 'original' text in snippets at the beginning of some chapters, so it was so much fun to see where the girls were experiencing things that were different to the book they loved. This was primarily Adelle's part of the story, as she was the one to find her way into Moira's sumptuous upper class world. However, I cared much less for Connie's part, as she was taken in by a gang of starving orphan street children.
I also feel that there were some loose ends not tied up. What happened to the actual book itself after it was done rewriting the cosmic horror? Does it not matter since Adelle and Connie likely owned the only copy ever published? What happened to the remaining characters? Did anyone ever try to read it again?
Overall I cannot say that I truly enjoyed this novel. I believe if I wasn't feeling obliged to finish my ARC, I likely would have abandoned it, however by the time I made that realisation I was more than halfway through and I just wanted to get it over with. I really hope that this strange mashup of contemporary, Victorian romance, and cosmic horror finds its niche audience because unfortunately, I'm not part of it.
I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I was super interested in reading this book as I was - and still am - going through a phase where I want to read about people who step into stories.
The blurb totally drew me in: two contemporary teen girls literally (and literarily) enter the world of their favourite book, gothic romance Moira, only to find it's not the lush opulent world they thought it would be. Instead, the story takes on a cosmic horror twist straight out of the Necronomicon, which was absolutely not alluded to in the blurb. The blurb only mentions 'unspeakable horrors', 'something dark', and 'nightmare', which quite frankly could have been Jack the Ripper for all it promises.
There is no mention that this is a cosmic horror book where Cthulhu literally makes a guest appearance, although He is not named, and quite frankly the cameo could be lost on a reader who doesn't know about the Elder Gods. I only do because my husband is lowkey obsessed with H.P. Lovecraft.
So I am trying desperately to keep in mind that the marketers did this author dirty with its promotion, because if I knew it contained tentacled monsters eating dreamless sleepwalkers and other monstrosities, I would not have picked it up. I was drawn to the promise of two modern girls discovering their favourite romance novel might not be everything they think it is, not someone else's intellectual property taking centre stage. As such, the worldbuilding felt really weird, because, on the one hand, we had this Boston from a hundred and fifty or so years ago. But on the other hand was someone else's intellectual property. And on the third hand, we had the stuff that was set in the novel, just never talked about (those poor filthy beggars, this isn't Les Miserable, it's bloody Bridgerton).
That being said, everything that had nothing to do with the Elder Gods was fun to read. It's when the cosmic horror began that my interest dropped, and it took me months to finish this.
And before you tell me Cthulhu wasn't in this novel, let me provide a direct quote:
As well as plenty of references to the Old or Elder Gods.
I really liked Adelle and Connie's characterisation and their relationship with each other. I was afraid they would grow apart, but their friendship remained firm and true. Yay girl power! I especially loved Connie's inner struggle with coming to terms with her own sexuality. I am a big fan of female friendship.
I loved the Moira sections because the author kindly provided the 'original' text in snippets at the beginning of some chapters, so it was so much fun to see where the girls were experiencing things that were different to the book they loved. This was primarily Adelle's part of the story, as she was the one to find her way into Moira's sumptuous upper class world. However, I cared much less for Connie's part, as she was taken in by a gang of starving orphan street children.
I also feel that there were some loose ends not tied up. What happened to the actual book itself after it was done rewriting the cosmic horror? Does it not matter since Adelle and Connie likely owned the only copy ever published? What happened to the remaining characters? Did anyone ever try to read it again?
Overall I cannot say that I truly enjoyed this novel. I believe if I wasn't feeling obliged to finish my ARC, I likely would have abandoned it, however by the time I made that realisation I was more than halfway through and I just wanted to get it over with. I really hope that this strange mashup of contemporary, Victorian romance, and cosmic horror finds its niche audience because unfortunately, I'm not part of it.
I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
February 12, 2023
No he podido con esta historia. Desde mi perspectiva, está muy mal construida y desarrollada. No tiene un objetivo fijo y cambia todo el rato a algo aún menos lógico. La idea está bien pero la ejecución dista mucho de ser buena a mi gusto. Además, las conversaciones se sienten totalmente desubicadas, y sin personalidad. El tono de la narración es a veces infantil, a veces adulto, eso personalmente no me gusta nada.
ESTO ES MI OPINIÓN. Una sola opinión sin ánimo de ofensa. Juzgo desde el punto de vista de lectora de fantasía. Y aclaro esto porque parece que las opiniones malas no son respetadas casi nunca.
ESTO ES MI OPINIÓN. Una sola opinión sin ánimo de ofensa. Juzgo desde el punto de vista de lectora de fantasía. Y aclaro esto porque parece que las opiniones malas no son respetadas casi nunca.
May 4, 2022
Hmm. I liked the premise and the characters, but not the whole... plot. It was a bit vague overall--how? why? what happened after? If I'd known this was going to be some Lovecraftian shit, I never would have read it.
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
Read
October 22, 2022DNF @ 50% - It wasn't good and it wasn't for me, can't decide which realization is worse tbh
January 14, 2023
The cover and premise drew me in, but the story was a let down. It was messy, disjointed, chaotic, and parts simply didn't make sense. There was no clear resolution, and no answers to why or how things happened. It was a unique idea with endless possibilities. I probably (and should have) DNFed if it weren't for a Your Adventure Awaits postcard reading challenge prompt. The prompt completion is ONLY reason I'm glad I finished it.
March 10, 2022
I'm sure most readers would tell you that if they could jump into their favorite book and interact with the characters, they'd do it in a heartbeat. I know I have a couple books I'd love to check out. When I saw the premise of Roux's new book, I knew I had to read it asap. The story brings up an interesting thought, there's more to the book world than what you see on the page. Other characters, other situations that happen that may not be relevant to the main character. I really liked this approach and it definitely hooked me.
I thought the book was too short to really tell everything. The pacing moved so quickly that the main characters Adelle and Connie didn't get much of a chance to believably bond with their crushes. I wanted more time to explore the relationships and have a reason to hesitate before coming back to their world. I also thought the ending was rushed and the climax was disappointing. I wish this was 100 pages longer or had a sequel to give it time to fully develop.
I thought the book was too short to really tell everything. The pacing moved so quickly that the main characters Adelle and Connie didn't get much of a chance to believably bond with their crushes. I wanted more time to explore the relationships and have a reason to hesitate before coming back to their world. I also thought the ending was rushed and the climax was disappointing. I wish this was 100 pages longer or had a sequel to give it time to fully develop.
October 16, 2023
Orgullo y prejuicio con Chutulu?
August 5, 2022
Przyjaciółki - Adelle i Connie - pewnego dnia przenoszą się do swojego ukochanego książkowego świata - czyż nie każdy by tak chciał choć raz? Tylko że spodziewały się czegoś zupełnie innego. Czy spędzony tam czas faktycznie będzie wiktoriańskim spełnieniem marzeń, czy może wiktoriańskim koszmarem?
Książkę czyta się bardzo szybko, przez to że niemal natychmiast zostajemy wkręceni w wir historii i zwrotów akcji. Jednak wiele wątków nie zostaje pogłębionych ani wyjaśnionych - wszystko jest takie płaskie. Spoko, ale bez szału 🤔
PS UWAGA na spojlery do zakończenia "Władcy Pierścieni" i Targowiska Próżności" ❌
PS2 Zakończenie daje furtkę do kolejnego tomu...
Książkę czyta się bardzo szybko, przez to że niemal natychmiast zostajemy wkręceni w wir historii i zwrotów akcji. Jednak wiele wątków nie zostaje pogłębionych ani wyjaśnionych - wszystko jest takie płaskie. Spoko, ale bez szału 🤔
PS UWAGA na spojlery do zakończenia "Władcy Pierścieni" i Targowiska Próżności" ❌
PS2 Zakończenie daje furtkę do kolejnego tomu...
March 16, 2022
This book is so very, very bad. The entire plot made absolutely no sense. None of the story was cohesive. People just did things and it didn’t connect with anyone else in the story. It was so weird and not at all good.
December 12, 2023
2.5 STARS
I didn't necessarily hate this book, but it just didn't 'do' anything for me. I didn't really come to care about the characters, and the plot just felt a bit vague?
I didn't necessarily hate this book, but it just didn't 'do' anything for me. I didn't really come to care about the characters, and the plot just felt a bit vague?
June 20, 2022
4.5, rounded to 5 because I think this book deserves a significantly better rating than it has on GR! This was a book first and foremost about friendship, with love as an interesting sideplot rather than a force that takes over the direction of the novel. While the form of this book — a book about books and writing and falling into books — might look familiar, what I really love about this is the way that the characters directly reckon with what, in real life, would be an incredibly distressing and fucked up situation: those that fell into the book hold secrets both vital to their escape and forbidden from sharing.
I loved the way that the author modeled a kind of 19th century cast of characters both hesitant and naive *and* open to change, able to teach the “modern” travelers just as the travelers teach them. The treatment of queer sexuality in this book also felt genuine and not overwrought, which I’m sincerely hoping catches on in more young adult books.
I loved the way that the author modeled a kind of 19th century cast of characters both hesitant and naive *and* open to change, able to teach the “modern” travelers just as the travelers teach them. The treatment of queer sexuality in this book also felt genuine and not overwrought, which I’m sincerely hoping catches on in more young adult books.
Want to read
July 29, 2021This sounds SO GOOD, how on earth am I supposed to make it to March?
August 26, 2021
Loved reading this book, with the bookish book trope, and I loved seeing these girls in their favourite world, but twisted, it was an amazing concept!
nope-dnf
July 4, 2023DNF @ 30%
YA at its most cringe.
In my ongoing pursuit of new unproblematic, fun cozy mysteries I stumbled across this gorgeous cover. I didn't know it was young adult until I started reading it and couldn't get along with the writing style. There are WAY too many pop culture references. It takes you out of the story. You can barely go a page without a name drop.
Also statements like: "No shade" , just casually being thrown in made this book feel way too young for me. Some of the writing also felt incredibly forced in a way where you could tell everyone in the book was trying to be hyper-woke with sentences like: "Mom says judgement is just unprocessed trauma being projected".....that just felt so awkward to say in a line of dialogue by a character.
Initially, I did find aspects of the plot to be interesting. For example the desolate book town and the weird robed figures were so creepy and legitimately created some spooky imagery in my mind. However by 20% in I found that I was no longer following the story and could see the characters each going down these separate romance sub-plots that I was not going to have an ounce of patience for.
ALSO - Ew that ingrown hair metaphor was so freaking unnecessary.
.
.
.
Synopsis: Two girls love this old gothic romance book and somehow find this magic shop where the dude can magic them into the book (gave me goosebumps "haunted mask" vibes) but when they go into the book they get separated in different parts of the story and try to find there way back to one another.
YA at its most cringe.
In my ongoing pursuit of new unproblematic, fun cozy mysteries I stumbled across this gorgeous cover. I didn't know it was young adult until I started reading it and couldn't get along with the writing style. There are WAY too many pop culture references. It takes you out of the story. You can barely go a page without a name drop.
Also statements like: "No shade" , just casually being thrown in made this book feel way too young for me. Some of the writing also felt incredibly forced in a way where you could tell everyone in the book was trying to be hyper-woke with sentences like: "Mom says judgement is just unprocessed trauma being projected".....that just felt so awkward to say in a line of dialogue by a character.
Initially, I did find aspects of the plot to be interesting. For example the desolate book town and the weird robed figures were so creepy and legitimately created some spooky imagery in my mind. However by 20% in I found that I was no longer following the story and could see the characters each going down these separate romance sub-plots that I was not going to have an ounce of patience for.
ALSO - Ew that ingrown hair metaphor was so freaking unnecessary.
.
.
.
Synopsis: Two girls love this old gothic romance book and somehow find this magic shop where the dude can magic them into the book (gave me goosebumps "haunted mask" vibes) but when they go into the book they get separated in different parts of the story and try to find there way back to one another.
February 28, 2022
Rating: 1⭐️
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the idea of this book. Falling into one of your favourite books sounds like a booknerd’s dream! Adelle and Connie seem to think so, but their favourite book isn’t all it seems to be.
I read the first 100 pages before becoming bored and skimming the next 100ish. Then I decided to jump right to the end. I was able to predict the ending just from skimming the first little bit. That was a let down.
This story moved so fast but left no space for growth. Within the first few chapters, the girls had fallen into their favourite book and one had been whisked off to the mansion and the other had been kidnapped. There’s was a lot of action in this book but there was no story growth. It all felt like it was there just to be there. Like the characters that kidnapped Connie. There was no mention of them in the book Connie was familiar with but they were present when she was magically transported into the story. That’s just weird. The majority of the beginning had me rolling my eyes at the cliches that were included. And the end wasn’t anything spectacular either. It was predictable and cliche.
I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the idea of this book. Falling into one of your favourite books sounds like a booknerd’s dream! Adelle and Connie seem to think so, but their favourite book isn’t all it seems to be.
I read the first 100 pages before becoming bored and skimming the next 100ish. Then I decided to jump right to the end. I was able to predict the ending just from skimming the first little bit. That was a let down.
This story moved so fast but left no space for growth. Within the first few chapters, the girls had fallen into their favourite book and one had been whisked off to the mansion and the other had been kidnapped. There’s was a lot of action in this book but there was no story growth. It all felt like it was there just to be there. Like the characters that kidnapped Connie. There was no mention of them in the book Connie was familiar with but they were present when she was magically transported into the story. That’s just weird. The majority of the beginning had me rolling my eyes at the cliches that were included. And the end wasn’t anything spectacular either. It was predictable and cliche.
I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.
January 18, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC. "The Book of Living Secrets" starts off so promisingly, with two fun, relatable characters in Adelle and Connie. Their genuine affection for one another and good-natured silliness regarding their favorite novel was instantly infectious; I was excited to see where the magic in this book took them. Unfortunately, as soon as they got sucked into their favorite novel, things fell apart for me. The worldbuilding is barely present, and it's very difficult to determine what is actually happening. Time is fast-forwarded strangely (for example, when Connie arrives inside the book, the narrator glosses over her arrival, literally saying that "hours passed, then days, and Connie was still here!" Like... we might have wanted to see the character's first few days in an alternate universe??). Just... a lot of strange decisions were made with this one. Ultimately a very confusing story that started promisingly and then veered off the rails.
October 5, 2021
Holy….shit…. TALK ABOUT AN ENDING. I am cursing myself that this was an ARC because I am hoping and praying for a sequel. From the very moment Adelle and Connie step into the world of Moria you are questioning every potential turn just as they are questioning the beloved book they thought they knew. The way the plot ties together is just insane and the ended almost had me jumping up and down in disbelief. 5/5 for everyone who loves a good spooky tale.
Want to read
May 20, 2021this is my lifelong dream given a nightmarish twist and therefore I definitely want this asap
also I am mildly jealous of how freaking clear this author's skin is
also I am mildly jealous of how freaking clear this author's skin is
October 13, 2022
I don't get it? Lol. What happened at the end? I'm so confused.
June 4, 2023
Pomysł fajny… ale realizacja dużo gorsza
March 7, 2022
Note: I was sent an e-arc of this book in exchange for a review. All my opinions are honest and unbiased.
The Book of Living Secrets has an absolutely fascinating premise. Who wouldn’t want to go into the world of their favourite book with their best friend? But of course, it’s much different and darker than anyone could have expected. I’m actually a bit miffed that the blurb didn’t focus enough on how dark, eerie and horroresque this was going to be, complete with monsters and all.
I love how both Adelle and Connie get dropped into different times and circumstances of the book which makes it all the more interesting to stumble around and grow. Connie lands up with the vagabond villains while Adelle is partying with the rich main characters. It’s beautiful how the author paints a contrast in the society of Moira and the social class differences that form the so-called villains and heroes of the book. I found it to be a fantastic way to explore the worldbuilding of Moira quickly and effectively. It was also really fun to read excerpts from the actual book Moira and then look at the changing world as our two protagonists stepped into it.
There is something to be said of how much you can read into characters when you’re reading a book. As readers, we get attached to their strengths and the beautiful parts of their souls. Sometimes we ignore their darker sides or follies and vice-versa with villains and side characters. We put these characters on a pedestal and at some point, these characters are not what the author wrote them to be but become characters who carry all our desires and wishes. We mould them to be who we want at times and I love how we see a reflection of that in The Book of Living Secrets.
Check out my full review on my blog!
The Book of Living Secrets has an absolutely fascinating premise. Who wouldn’t want to go into the world of their favourite book with their best friend? But of course, it’s much different and darker than anyone could have expected. I’m actually a bit miffed that the blurb didn’t focus enough on how dark, eerie and horroresque this was going to be, complete with monsters and all.
I love how both Adelle and Connie get dropped into different times and circumstances of the book which makes it all the more interesting to stumble around and grow. Connie lands up with the vagabond villains while Adelle is partying with the rich main characters. It’s beautiful how the author paints a contrast in the society of Moira and the social class differences that form the so-called villains and heroes of the book. I found it to be a fantastic way to explore the worldbuilding of Moira quickly and effectively. It was also really fun to read excerpts from the actual book Moira and then look at the changing world as our two protagonists stepped into it.
There is something to be said of how much you can read into characters when you’re reading a book. As readers, we get attached to their strengths and the beautiful parts of their souls. Sometimes we ignore their darker sides or follies and vice-versa with villains and side characters. We put these characters on a pedestal and at some point, these characters are not what the author wrote them to be but become characters who carry all our desires and wishes. We mould them to be who we want at times and I love how we see a reflection of that in The Book of Living Secrets.
Check out my full review on my blog!
March 14, 2022
Who wouldn’t love to go inside of their favorite book?? I loved the whole concept. There were some things I could have done without, but all in all it was good.
August 25, 2021
*I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.*
Synopsis:
No matter how different best friends Adelle and Connie are, one thing they’ve always had in common is their love of a little-known gothic romance novel called Moira. So when the girls are tempted by a mysterious stranger to enter the world of the book, they hardly suspect it will work. But suddenly they are in the world of Moira, living among characters they’ve obsessed about for years.
Except…all is not how they remembered it. The world has been turned upside down: The lavish balls and star-crossed love affairs are now interlaced with unspeakable horrors. The girls realize that something dark is lurking behind their foray into fiction—and they will have to rewrite their own arcs if they hope to escape this nightmare with their lives.
The Book of Living Secrets had me asking myself “Am I enjoying this?” throughout most of the book. As someone who has their fair share of book boyfriends and would love to be able to jump into their favorite book, the premise of this story appealed to me immediately. Jump into my favorite story? What is this magic and where can I get some of it?! Even knowing that it wouldn’t end up being the fairytale Adelle and Connie had in mind, did not necessarily prepare me for what happened.
The Boston of Moira is really confusing. Maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention, but besides all the odds things happening, it also took me a while before I realized that Moira took place in Boston. I could have benefitted from a little more world-building. That being said, events happen fast and furious from the start and as I’ve mentioned in past reviews, I’d rather feel like a book is moving too fast than too slow.
I felt the representation in the book was good, particularly Connie’s very real struggle with admitting to herself and others that she is attracted to girls. I feel throughout the book there were some sweet moments around this topic. I also really just enjoyed Connie and Adelle’s BFF friendship and there were some other great, surprising characters and moments throughout the book.
The end of the epilogue is what finally had me deciding whether or not I enjoyed the book. The last couple of pages completely caught me off guard, so much so that I had to reread them. I had not anticipated that ending and it instantly increased my enjoyment of the book and made me want to flip back and see if I had missed any clues!
Synopsis:
No matter how different best friends Adelle and Connie are, one thing they’ve always had in common is their love of a little-known gothic romance novel called Moira. So when the girls are tempted by a mysterious stranger to enter the world of the book, they hardly suspect it will work. But suddenly they are in the world of Moira, living among characters they’ve obsessed about for years.
Except…all is not how they remembered it. The world has been turned upside down: The lavish balls and star-crossed love affairs are now interlaced with unspeakable horrors. The girls realize that something dark is lurking behind their foray into fiction—and they will have to rewrite their own arcs if they hope to escape this nightmare with their lives.
The Book of Living Secrets had me asking myself “Am I enjoying this?” throughout most of the book. As someone who has their fair share of book boyfriends and would love to be able to jump into their favorite book, the premise of this story appealed to me immediately. Jump into my favorite story? What is this magic and where can I get some of it?! Even knowing that it wouldn’t end up being the fairytale Adelle and Connie had in mind, did not necessarily prepare me for what happened.
The Boston of Moira is really confusing. Maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention, but besides all the odds things happening, it also took me a while before I realized that Moira took place in Boston. I could have benefitted from a little more world-building. That being said, events happen fast and furious from the start and as I’ve mentioned in past reviews, I’d rather feel like a book is moving too fast than too slow.
I felt the representation in the book was good, particularly Connie’s very real struggle with admitting to herself and others that she is attracted to girls. I feel throughout the book there were some sweet moments around this topic. I also really just enjoyed Connie and Adelle’s BFF friendship and there were some other great, surprising characters and moments throughout the book.
The end of the epilogue is what finally had me deciding whether or not I enjoyed the book. The last couple of pages completely caught me off guard, so much so that I had to reread them. I had not anticipated that ending and it instantly increased my enjoyment of the book and made me want to flip back and see if I had missed any clues!
April 25, 2022
https://www.instagram.com/p/CcX29cysJ...
Adelle i Connie są najlepszymi przyjaciółkami. Dziewczyny zakochana są w gotyckiej powieści pod tytułem Moira. Tego dnia miały udać się na zabawę, jednak plany uległy zmianie. Nastolatki skorzystały z zaproszenia i udały się do tajemniczego sklepu. Na miejscu przyjaciółkom zaproponowano przeniesienie się do wnętrza ukochanej powieści. Dziewczyny były sceptycznie nastawone, jednak czar zadziałał. Jednak z tej perspektywy książka okazała się być zupełnie inna...
Na samym początku miałam wrażenie, że w książce brakuje kilku pierwszych rozdziałów. Nagle zostało wspomniane dużo postaci, a ja nie mogłam zrozumieć kto jest kim. Na szczęście wszystko szybko udało się zrozumieć.
Niestety początek nie do końca przypadł mi do gusty. Teoretycznie działo się tam coś ciekawego, jednak historia mnie nudziła. Sprawa zmieniła się nieco po przeczytaniu około 1/3 książki. Dostałam tam dużo więcej ciekawych i nieco mrocznych zdarzeń.
Przenosząc się do ulubionej historii, dziewczyny rozdzielają się. Dużo bardziej trafiła do mnie część przeznaczona Adelle i dużo chętniej czytałam rozdziały jej przeznaczone. Podobało mi się jednak, że dziewczyny znalazły się w dwóch skrajnie innych miejscach i sytuacjach, co sprawiało, że mogłam poznać cały świat z Moiry, a nie jedynie część przeznaczoną głównym bohaterom.
Adelle i Connie były dla mnie dość transparentne, a przez tempo akcji nie udało się poznać lepiej ich charakterów.
Dużym plusem jest sam pomysł na fabułę. Przeniesienie się do wymarzonej książki brzmi jak spełnienie marzeń. Do tego ogromnie spodobał mi się ten nieco mrocznych klimat, a także obraz bohaterów Moiry. Ulubione postacie nastolatek okazały się być całkowicie inne niż podczas czytania książki. Spodobało mi się w jaki sposób autorka ukształtowała charaktery Severina i Moiry w "rzeczywistości". Moją ulubienicą natomiast została Orla.
Momentami książka była zaskakująca, co ogromnie doceniam. Jednak nie wszystko było miało dla mnie sens, a szybkie tempo akcji nie pozwoliło na dokładne rozwinięcie niektórych wątków.
Bardzo spodobał mi się również zabieg z przedstawieniem wybranych fragmentów Moiry na początku rozdziałów.
Sama do końca nie wiem jak ocenić tę książkę. Na pewno nie była zła, jednak do moich ulubieńców wciąż jest jej daleko.
A Wam polecam wyrobić sobie o niej własne zdanie!
Adelle i Connie są najlepszymi przyjaciółkami. Dziewczyny zakochana są w gotyckiej powieści pod tytułem Moira. Tego dnia miały udać się na zabawę, jednak plany uległy zmianie. Nastolatki skorzystały z zaproszenia i udały się do tajemniczego sklepu. Na miejscu przyjaciółkom zaproponowano przeniesienie się do wnętrza ukochanej powieści. Dziewczyny były sceptycznie nastawone, jednak czar zadziałał. Jednak z tej perspektywy książka okazała się być zupełnie inna...
Na samym początku miałam wrażenie, że w książce brakuje kilku pierwszych rozdziałów. Nagle zostało wspomniane dużo postaci, a ja nie mogłam zrozumieć kto jest kim. Na szczęście wszystko szybko udało się zrozumieć.
Niestety początek nie do końca przypadł mi do gusty. Teoretycznie działo się tam coś ciekawego, jednak historia mnie nudziła. Sprawa zmieniła się nieco po przeczytaniu około 1/3 książki. Dostałam tam dużo więcej ciekawych i nieco mrocznych zdarzeń.
Przenosząc się do ulubionej historii, dziewczyny rozdzielają się. Dużo bardziej trafiła do mnie część przeznaczona Adelle i dużo chętniej czytałam rozdziały jej przeznaczone. Podobało mi się jednak, że dziewczyny znalazły się w dwóch skrajnie innych miejscach i sytuacjach, co sprawiało, że mogłam poznać cały świat z Moiry, a nie jedynie część przeznaczoną głównym bohaterom.
Adelle i Connie były dla mnie dość transparentne, a przez tempo akcji nie udało się poznać lepiej ich charakterów.
Dużym plusem jest sam pomysł na fabułę. Przeniesienie się do wymarzonej książki brzmi jak spełnienie marzeń. Do tego ogromnie spodobał mi się ten nieco mrocznych klimat, a także obraz bohaterów Moiry. Ulubione postacie nastolatek okazały się być całkowicie inne niż podczas czytania książki. Spodobało mi się w jaki sposób autorka ukształtowała charaktery Severina i Moiry w "rzeczywistości". Moją ulubienicą natomiast została Orla.
Momentami książka była zaskakująca, co ogromnie doceniam. Jednak nie wszystko było miało dla mnie sens, a szybkie tempo akcji nie pozwoliło na dokładne rozwinięcie niektórych wątków.
Bardzo spodobał mi się również zabieg z przedstawieniem wybranych fragmentów Moiry na początku rozdziałów.
Sama do końca nie wiem jak ocenić tę książkę. Na pewno nie była zła, jednak do moich ulubieńców wciąż jest jej daleko.
A Wam polecam wyrobić sobie o niej własne zdanie!
April 29, 2022
Phenomenally Lovecraftian! 🐙 "You won't want to put this down until you finished it!"
I've never wanted to jump into a book's universe more than when I was reading The Book of Living Secrets. Connie and Adelle are polar opposite besties, except for their love of Moira.
This romanticized and gothic Victorian place is where Connie and Adelle's heroine, Moira, lives and breathes. Nothing could satiate Adelle's curiosity and hunger for adventure, to finally meet their shared beloved protagonist. Some dark magic later and they barrel through space, time, and reality to Boston, MA in the early 18th century, into the world of Moira. Nothing is what they thought it was, and they must escape before it's too late.
Read in one day; cherish it for a lifetime. I've been waiting for a Lovecraftian gothic romance story, and this has all the bells and whistles for a macabre reader like myself. I'm not disappointed one bit! The epilogue was entirely surprising and left me wanting MORE! Sometimes I even felt like the book itself was warm, a world waiting for you to "Abra-Kadabra" yourself into and navigate a treacherous Boston alongside Connie and Adelle, to meet Caid, Orla, even Moira, and Severin. Picturing the described visuals in my head as I read along was its' own movie, and I sure hope that one day this book gets its' movie. A world this witchy and provoking and mystical deserves it.
The main characters are realistic and that's what I believe is most important in this YA book. Young adult readers need characters to relate to as they deal with their own forming personalities, and I applaud Adelle for keeping her reactions to herself even when someone really ought to be punched. The themes go above and beyond here, making it a truly wholesome friendship between the two girls.
My ONLY wish, was that Moira was a real book I could also read. The fantastic love triangle, Victorian echelon parties, deceit, suspense, poetic retribution... I actually tried to find Moira on every reading platform, but alas, Moira will stay only inside of TBLR, and my memories I've concocted to form snippets of scenes.
I've never wanted to jump into a book's universe more than when I was reading The Book of Living Secrets. Connie and Adelle are polar opposite besties, except for their love of Moira.
This romanticized and gothic Victorian place is where Connie and Adelle's heroine, Moira, lives and breathes. Nothing could satiate Adelle's curiosity and hunger for adventure, to finally meet their shared beloved protagonist. Some dark magic later and they barrel through space, time, and reality to Boston, MA in the early 18th century, into the world of Moira. Nothing is what they thought it was, and they must escape before it's too late.
Read in one day; cherish it for a lifetime. I've been waiting for a Lovecraftian gothic romance story, and this has all the bells and whistles for a macabre reader like myself. I'm not disappointed one bit! The epilogue was entirely surprising and left me wanting MORE! Sometimes I even felt like the book itself was warm, a world waiting for you to "Abra-Kadabra" yourself into and navigate a treacherous Boston alongside Connie and Adelle, to meet Caid, Orla, even Moira, and Severin. Picturing the described visuals in my head as I read along was its' own movie, and I sure hope that one day this book gets its' movie. A world this witchy and provoking and mystical deserves it.
The main characters are realistic and that's what I believe is most important in this YA book. Young adult readers need characters to relate to as they deal with their own forming personalities, and I applaud Adelle for keeping her reactions to herself even when someone really ought to be punched. The themes go above and beyond here, making it a truly wholesome friendship between the two girls.
My ONLY wish, was that Moira was a real book I could also read. The fantastic love triangle, Victorian echelon parties, deceit, suspense, poetic retribution... I actually tried to find Moira on every reading platform, but alas, Moira will stay only inside of TBLR, and my memories I've concocted to form snippets of scenes.
June 30, 2022
No cóż książka na początku nie powala, a prawdziwa akcja zaczyna się od poznania gangu Bicyklistów( przynajmniej dla mnie i bardziej wciągająca jest perspektywa Connie). Akcja po balu leci jak torpeda i nawet do samego końca nie zwalnia. Wciągnęłam i przez chwilę czułam się jak Adelle i Connie. Nie które wydarzenia były do przewidzenia jednak końcówka... Z początku książka wydawała mi się zwykłą jedno tomówką jednak scena w epilogu całkiem zmieniła mój pogląd odnośnie książki.
Jeśli chodzi o postacie to od początku coś nie lubiłam Adelle jednak z czasem zaczeła mnie intrygować i irytować jednocześnie. Kto o zdrowych zmysłach poszedł by na taki układ? Connie Rollins to jest moja MIŁOŚĆ i WYMARZONA ŻONA. Dziewczyna z początku przerażona tym w co wplątała ją przyjaciółka zmienia się w "obrończynie" świata Moiry.
Z "nierealnych" bohaterów urzekła mnie przedewszystkim Missisipi. Ruda akrobatka z rewolwerem zdecydowanie skradła mi serce. Energia jaką roztacza Missi całkiem mnie pochłoneła. Caid jest cudownym dżentelmenem, który skradł w jakiś sposób moje serce.
Boli mnie jednak niespełniona miłość jaka pojawiła się w powieści. Jednak zostaje mi tylko nadzieja na to, że w drugiej części (o ile powstanie) znów będę mogła przeczytać o swoim ukochanym shipie.
Jeśli o samą fabułę książki to nie mam do czego się przyczepić oprócz końca, który zrobił mi olbrzymiego smaka na drugą część. Mam nadzieję, że znajdę jakiegoś fana tej książki, bo zaczynam się obawiać, że jestem jedyna...
Jeśli chodzi o postacie to od początku coś nie lubiłam Adelle jednak z czasem zaczeła mnie intrygować i irytować jednocześnie. Kto o zdrowych zmysłach poszedł by na taki układ? Connie Rollins to jest moja MIŁOŚĆ i WYMARZONA ŻONA. Dziewczyna z początku przerażona tym w co wplątała ją przyjaciółka zmienia się w "obrończynie" świata Moiry.
Z "nierealnych" bohaterów urzekła mnie przedewszystkim Missisipi. Ruda akrobatka z rewolwerem zdecydowanie skradła mi serce. Energia jaką roztacza Missi całkiem mnie pochłoneła. Caid jest cudownym dżentelmenem, który skradł w jakiś sposób moje serce.
Boli mnie jednak niespełniona miłość jaka pojawiła się w powieści. Jednak zostaje mi tylko nadzieja na to, że w drugiej części (o ile powstanie) znów będę mogła przeczytać o swoim ukochanym shipie.
Jeśli o samą fabułę książki to nie mam do czego się przyczepić oprócz końca, który zrobił mi olbrzymiego smaka na drugą część. Mam nadzieję, że znajdę jakiegoś fana tej książki, bo zaczynam się obawiać, że jestem jedyna...
May 15, 2022
Very bad.
It's a big mambo-jumbo...half-thought ideas, rushed, confusing, boring.
Let's throw together Lovecraft! Anime looking monsters!! Girrrrrrl power!!! Perfect-hero and perfect-heroine which turn out to be...(drum roll, please) BAD PEOPLE (or characters, whatever)!!!!
A book with a lot of noise and no soul.
Just no.
It's a big mambo-jumbo...half-thought ideas, rushed, confusing, boring.
Let's throw together Lovecraft! Anime looking monsters!! Girrrrrrl power!!! Perfect-hero and perfect-heroine which turn out to be...(drum roll, please) BAD PEOPLE (or characters, whatever)!!!!
A book with a lot of noise and no soul.
Just no.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 749 reviews