Goodreads Synopsis: A New York Times bestselling author brings dark secrets to life in a lush new YA perfect for fans of Libba Bray or Cassandra Clare.Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate... or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might.
With a gorgeous Romanian setting, stunning Parisian gowns, and dark brooding young men, readers will be swept up by this epic adventure of two girls in a battle for their lives.
My Thoughts:
- I had really high hopes for this book, but it turns out that the story was just alright.
- I'm a big Jessica Day George fan, but this isn't my favorite book of hers. It has so much going for it, but I feel like it just barely missed the mark of being something awesome.
- The setting was amazing! The book showcases Romania and the time period beautifully. I feel like the book is mostly eye candy.
- The family secret wasn't super shocking and amazing. I'm sure it was to the characters in the time period, but it wasn't for me as a reader. I felt like there was a lot of build up to the secret, and then it was very anti-climactic and predictable. Also, I wish the secret had been revealed earlier in the story so more of the conflicts could have had more time.
- The beginning was slow, but the book picks up about halfway through, and I enjoyed the second half a lot more. I still enjoyed the first half, but it was a lot of setup.
- Dacia and Lou grew on me, but not a ton. I didn't really love any of the characters. I liked them well enough, but not enough to sympathize very much.
- I really liked the homage to Stoker's Dracula. There were mentions of the book in the story. There were also letters and diary entries similar to the ones in Dracula. That was fun.
- Overall, I enjoyed the book and I think it is worth the read, but it didn't live up to my expectations.
