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