When a book is centered more on its characters than any sort of overarching plot, those characters need to be compelling. Unfortunately, I felt no chemistry between Minnie and Rosier, and I didn’t feel anything for them, either. In Teeth and Tarot, Lance and Reagan’s dynamic was appealing. I liked them, I enjoyed their story, and that held up on a reread, even when the attachment I remembered feeling the first time turned out not to be so strong.

Here, though? Nothing of the sort. I kept reading out of curiosity, and because there was no reason not to, and then the book was over but my opinion was the same.

Beyond that, the ending as a whole was unsatisfying. Minnie didn’t

get her revenge

or

break her curse

. She didn’t do much of anything except

almost die in a rather dumb way

* and then

run away to Hell with a guy she pegged once

. That last bit seemed very impulsive on her part, and more like a bandaid over a bullet wound than a real resolution.

(*Also, I have to say it.

This was so cringe for me, and embarrassing for her. She talked such a big game to the le Fays, and then went down in one hit, in approximately two seconds. Yikes.

)

There’s more I could say—about how this story doesn’t line up with the one outlined at the end of the first book, how it feels more like a slice-of-life piece about magic roommates but still manages to be bland and go basically nowhere, how both leads share traits with some of my favorite characters but fell too flat on their own for me to love them—but I’ve been working on this review for hours and I’m ready to be done with it. (Sorry not sorry.)

I don’t want to say that this book was bad, because it wasn’t. There was nothing inherently wrong with or terrible about it. But there was nothing memorable about it, either; nothing that will allow it to stand out in my mind as I read other things. And that might actually be even more tragic.

As of now, I’m undecided on whether or not I’ll stick around for the rest of the series.

Representation: