pamela
Book of Night was my first Holly Black book, and I wish it wasn't. I've heard great things about her YA novels, but this book just left me incredibly underwhelmed.
I loved the concept, and the urban fantasy/dark academia vibe, but the world-building, and character development were, unfortunately, pretty much non-existent. It made for a rather boring read overall. Book of Night is only 300 pages long, but it felt much longer.
The plot doesn't really get going until 100 pages in, at which point, I must admit it did pique my interest a little bit. But the ramped-up pacing didn't make up for the fact that the characters were two-dimensional, with a romance plot at the heart of the novel that never felt real. I barely got the feeling that Vince and Charlie were even friends, let alone in love, and without that central premise to anchor my belief in the plot, the whole thing just felt a little flat.
With a more developed magic system, any character development at all, and a deeper attempt at world-building, I could have seen Book of Night being a brilliant read. But ultimately, the experience just left me a little cold. There was no life, no soul to the novel which ultimately meant that, while it kept me interested enough to finish reading it, it is ultimately quite forgettable.