maya’s Reviews > In the Veins of the Drowning > Status Update

are we supposed to like anyone in this book

genuinely i feel like the overwhelmingly positive reviews for this book are gaslighting me because what do you mean this is a 5 star read for you…

i really do NOT want to finish this book. it’s so bad but i don’t want to DNF when i’ve wasted this much time on it

nothing about this couple is believable. the way they hate each other isn’t believable, liking each other isn’t believable. nothing is. they just fundamentally lack depth

also where are all the other sirens in this book

also, now they like each other?? after roasting each other now they’re just fine with each other????? no character development just suddenly okay

kalie cassidy is a good writer but not a very talented storyteller

these characters are so painfully nothing. their reads on each other were pretty diabolical though but still make me feel nothing. how are they always together but they feel like strangers. they hate each other but there’s no heat, to reason for their dislike of one another. this book spoon feeds you pretty much everything and i think that’s the major failing. there’s no tension

so far it’s an incredibly weak enemies to lovers set up. it just doesn’t make sense. they just hate each other but for no real reason? it just comes off as very immature like no one communicates, they just keep saying they hate each other. no one explains why, there’s no action on either end that’s warrants a mutual hatred

these characters are a little agonizing like imogen is just a mess, she’s supposed to be 25 but reads like she’s 15. theo reacts to literally everything with anger for no reason. imogen is like “the sky is blue” and theo starts gritting his teeth. we’re constantly being told he’s some benevolent king but he’s the least empathetic character on the ship