• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Effortlessly Reading

  • Home
  • About
  • Features »
    • Judge A Book By Its Signature
    • Let’s Speculate
    • Series Overview
  • Review Archive »
    • By Title
    • By Author Last Name
    • Series Overview
    • Till It Arrives
  • Policy

Till It Arrives: Trial By Fire – Josephine Angelini

Till It Arrives is inspired by Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner’s Save the Date feature. Sometimes I read books that are not released anytime soon, but I want to share some of my feelings on the book right away, so Till It Arrives is born! (It also allows me to read books that appear later in my schedule, so that’s awesome too.) Since I don’t usually use GIFs in my reviews, I thought I’ll use plenty of GIFs to describe my feelings for the book I’m talking about in this feature!


trialbyfireTrial By Fire
Author: Josephine Angelini
Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Goodreads | Amazon | TBD

Summary:

Love burns. Worlds collide. Magic reigns.
This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying many of the experiences that other teenagers take for granted…which is why she is determined to enjoy her first (and perhaps only) high-school party. But Lily’s life never goes according to plan, and after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class Lily wishes she could just disappear.
Suddenly Lily is in a different Salem – one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruellest of all the Crucibles is Lillian…Lily’s identical other self in this alternate universe. This new version of her world is terrifyingly sensual, and Lily is soon overwhelmed by new experiences.
Lily realizes that what makes her weak at home is exactly what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. It also puts her life in danger. Thrown into a world she doesn’t understand, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can’t hope to shoulder alone, and a love she never expected.
But how can Lily be the saviour of this world when she is literally her own worst enemy?

 
First Sentence: Lily Proctor ducked into the girls’ room, already yanking back her rebellious hair.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.

A Tale of Boredom:

When I first heard that there was a book about witches and parallel universes set in Salem Massachusetts:

wantNOW

When I saw that Josephine Angelini wrote it:

expectations

*Side-Note: I did not enjoy her books Starcrossed and Dreamless.

When there was surprisingly no insta-love:

yessssfist

When I saw Josephine Angelini’s writing:

eyehurts

As I was reading:

blinksleeply

When I finally reached the middle of the book:

asleep

When I finally finished the book and can start another book:

yess

To sum the book up in a GIF:

oneeyebrowno

For a FULL non-GIF review of Trial By Fire, be sure to check out my blog on September 1!
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
-Kelly

Posted by Kelly on 7-02-14 · 39 Comments
Categories: 2014 book, till it arrives

« Let’s Speculate: A Cover Over A Cover – The ARC Edition
Life Of A Blogger: Family »

Speak Your Mind

  1. Emily @ Books & Cleverness says

    7-02-14 at 9:33 AM

    Oh no…Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy this one…I was really looking forward to it, but now I think I’ll push it back and read some other books beforehand. :/
    Emily @ Books & Cleverness recently posted…Waiting on…In A Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnisMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      7-02-14 at 5:33 PM

      Yeah…I’m sad to say that if you want to read Trial By Fire, I strongly recommend you go into it with lower expectations. :l
      Kelly recently posted…Till It Arrives: Trial By Fire – Josephine AngeliniMy Profile

      Reply
  2. Jessica says

    7-02-14 at 10:18 AM

    I read the entire Starcrossed series and did not enjoy it at all (Why did I read the whole series? I have no frexing clue). While this book looks interesting, I’m really hesitant on reading it thanks to the authors previous series. It’s great that there’s no insta-love! But it seems that her writing is still a problem.
    I’ll probably just opt out of this one.
    Jessica recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday: The Young Elites by Marie LuMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      7-02-14 at 5:34 PM

      Ha ha, I bought Goddess after reading both Starcrossed and Dreamless and hating them both. Why do we do these things? D:
      I never did read Goddess though.
      Yeah, even though there wasn’t any insta-love in this one (YES!), the writing is horrible. It improved a little, but the problems are still there.
      Kelly recently posted…Till It Arrives: Trial By Fire – Josephine AngeliniMy Profile

      Reply
  3. xSophieH says

    7-02-14 at 12:32 PM

    I loved the Starcrossed series so I’m still going to give this book a try just to see what the differences in opinions are

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      7-02-14 at 5:36 PM

      If you love the Starcrossed series, you’ll probably love this one too! I just have a huge problem with Josephine Angelini’s writing, but it looks like you don’t have that problem. (:
      Kelly recently posted…Till It Arrives: Trial By Fire – Josephine AngeliniMy Profile

      Reply
  4. Lina says

    7-02-14 at 12:33 PM

    I definitely have to agree on Josephine Angelini’s writing…just ugh. Her earlier series involved things I normally love — Greek mythology, set on an island, etc…but it was just so complex with characters I could never remember, and it was always a struggle to get through her books. I doubt I will be reading this one.
    Lina recently posted…Review: ‘If I Stay’ by Gayle FormanMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      7-02-14 at 5:40 PM

      Agreed and agreed.
      I don’t think her Starcrossed series was complex exactly; it’s just that there were so many little things happening that made everything feel fast-pace.
      I wanted to DNF Dreamless and Trial By Fire SO badly. It was a real struggle to finish them both sadly. :l
      Kelly recently posted…Till It Arrives: Trial By Fire – Josephine AngeliniMy Profile

      Reply
  5. Annie says

    7-02-14 at 12:51 PM

    Aww, sad to hear you didn’t like this! I agree that witches and parallel universes sound very interesting. I haven’t read any of Josephine Angelini’s books so I can’t say I know what you mean when you talk about her writing but I totally understand the feeling of being bored with a book and just wanting it to be over with. I have this thing where I really HATE DNFing a book once I’m past the 200 page mark even if it’s like super boring so those last few pages, I’m basically trying to read as fast as I can to get to the ending so I can pick up another book! Anyway, thanks for the heads up and by the way, I love this feature! It’s interesting to see what you think about up and coming books and the gif reactions are great!
    Annie recently posted…Happy Canada Day!My Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      7-02-14 at 5:44 PM

      Josephine Angelini’s writing is frankly horrible. I don’t want to go in-depth with her writing because I’m saving that rant for my review, but it’s just simply a mess.
      I wanted to DNF Trial By Fire SO badly, but since Macmillan sent me an ARC, I thought it was only fair I finished the book so I can write a full review for it.
      I’m glad you love this feature! It’s so fun finding the perfect GIFs, yet at the same time, it’s also time consuming because everything needs to be PERFECT. I am a perfectionist. ;D
      Kelly recently posted…Till It Arrives: Trial By Fire – Josephine AngeliniMy Profile

      Reply
  6. Jackie @ No Bent Spines says

    7-02-14 at 12:51 PM

    LOL! I love the gifs!! I actually liked the first one but then I was all like. . .this is too much *runs and hides* I still sort of need this one. . .even if it’s only because I ADORE that cover.
    Jackie~
    Jackie @ No Bent Spines recently posted…Waiting on WednesdayMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      7-02-14 at 5:49 PM

      What is too much? o:
      Ha ha, sadly, the cover of Trial By Fire does nothing for me. I just don’t like it that much. :l
      Kelly recently posted…Till It Arrives: Trial By Fire – Josephine AngeliniMy Profile

      Reply
  7. Jess W (A Book Addict's Bookshelves) says

    7-02-14 at 12:54 PM

    Sorry you didn’t like this :(
    I personally can’t wait to read it as I really enjoyed the Starcrossed series.
    Cool gifs! :)
    Jess W (A Book Addict’s Bookshelves) recently posted…Blog Tour + Interview + Giveaway – Carrier (The Line, #1) by Anne TibbetsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      7-02-14 at 5:51 PM

      If you really enjoyed the Starcrossed series, then you’ll probably like this one!
      Ha ha, thank you! It took a lot of GIF hunting. :P
      Kelly recently posted…Till It Arrives: Trial By Fire – Josephine AngeliniMy Profile

      Reply
  8. Lea @ YA Book Queen says

    7-02-14 at 1:28 PM

    Ooh, that’s disappointing. I hoped this one would be good. But, awesome (and highly entertaining) post!
    Lea @ YA Book Queen recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday (144): WHAT WAITS IN THE WOODSMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      7-02-14 at 5:52 PM

      I really hoped this one would be good too. Just, THAT PREMISE.
      Yay, I’m glad you found this post entertaining! :D<3
      Kelly recently posted…Till It Arrives: Trial By Fire – Josephine AngeliniMy Profile

      Reply
  9. Cali W. says

    7-02-14 at 3:46 PM

    I really love her books about Helen in Starcrossed, so I can’t wait to read this new book. <3

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      7-02-14 at 5:52 PM

      If you really enjoyed Starcrossed, you’ll probably like this one too then Cali! (:
      Kelly recently posted…Till It Arrives: Trial By Fire – Josephine AngeliniMy Profile

      Reply
  10. Kayla says

    7-02-14 at 8:00 PM

    Definitely wanted to see what you had to say because I didn’t like Starcrossed AT ALL…. So I’ll safely be skipped over this one. :)
    Kayla recently posted…How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida CowellMy Profile

    Reply
  11. Hawwa @ It Was Lovely Reading You says

    7-03-14 at 11:49 AM

    Let me just say: Heck YES to those gifs. I had never read one of her books previously. I didn’t even get past the fifth chapter..Looking forward to your review!
    Hawwa @ It Was Lovely Reading You recently posted…[capture that heart] review: the winner’s curse by marie rutkoskiMy Profile

    Reply
  12. Annie says

    7-03-14 at 12:10 PM

    I love gif reviews for early reviews!! It’s fun and amusing and does a good job of expressing your reading experience without spoiling anything.
    Annie recently posted…the Summer SolsticeMy Profile

    Reply
  13. Lis @ The reader lines says

    7-03-14 at 1:53 PM

    I think I’ll skip this one because I didn’t like Starcrossed. In fact, that was the only book I read because I just hated the characters (I don’t remember about the writing). However, I really wanted to read this, but now, I don’t know.
    Lis @ The reader lines recently posted…What’s new? The Stars Never Rise by Rachel VincentMy Profile

    Reply
  14. Samantha says

    7-04-14 at 1:24 PM

    I have never read anything by Josephine Angelini and I don’t think I will anytime soon. This book does not sound like something I will enjoy especially now that I have seen your review.

    Reply
  15. Charlie Anderson says

    7-04-14 at 1:27 PM

    The GIFs are wonderful! THANK YOU, THANK YOU for sharing your reading experience from pre-read to post-read! It will be one less book I don’t have on my TBR!

    Reply
  16. Brittany T says

    7-05-14 at 9:47 PM

    ummm can I it……please?

    Reply
    • Brittany T says

      7-05-14 at 9:48 PM

      Can I have it please? :-))))
      Brittany T recently posted…On Vacation!! *HUGS*My Profile

      Reply
  17. Hillary R. says

    7-05-14 at 11:09 PM

    The early reviews I’ve seen for this book all seem to be in favor or excited about this book. I’ve never read a book from Josephine Angelini, but I’ve heard okay, not okay, and great stuff so it only helps to confuse me. I’m still thinking about this one though…especially since it seems to not be as awesome as some have made it out to seem…

    Reply
  18. Antonia says

    7-06-14 at 3:11 PM

    It’s such a shame that you didn’t like it :( The synopsis was really intriguing and I was really looking forward to reading this book, despite the author being Josephine Angelini. I mean parallel universes, witches and NOW I find out there’s no insta-love!! YES PLEASE! But it looks like (once again) the plot just can’t make up for poor writing. *sigh* At least my TBR pile is a little smaller.

    Reply
  19. Gene says

    7-29-14 at 11:52 PM

    It’s too bad you didn’t like it.. Oh well, I enjoyed the Starcrossed trilogy so I’ll probably like this book! :)

    Reply
  20. Sondra says

    8-04-14 at 9:35 AM

    I’ve never read anything by Josephine Angelini. Although I have such high standards for writing I’m fairly sure I won’t pick anything up by her. This one looked so good too. That’s a total bummer. Thanks for the review, and well, saving me from picking up the book!

    Reply
  21. Christina R. says

    8-04-14 at 9:45 AM

    LOVE your review!!

    But it’s awful you didn’t like it! I too hear about a witch book and am immediately into it, but if the writing isn’t the style I like, I can get how you’re frustated.

    Concept wise it’s unique, to run into yourself in a parallel universe.

    Reply
  22. Keara Christine says

    8-04-14 at 2:17 PM

    It sucks that you disliked it! I was considering buying it just because of the gorgeous cover. I haven’t read any of Angelini’s other books, but I’ll be sure to go into them knowing they are probably terrible.

    Thanks for the review!

    Reply
  23. Luke Parkes says

    8-05-14 at 12:04 AM

    Aw, I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t like it. I LOVED Josephine Angelini’s Starcrossed trilogy and I’m excited to read Trial By Fire. Hopefully, I’ll enjoy it; the beginning line seems weird, but hey, it’s just the opening line. Thanks for your honest opinion; I like to read other people’s reviews – it’s interesting! :-)

    Reply
  24. EM @ Books and Iced Coffee says

    8-05-14 at 1:49 AM

    Aw man, I’m so sad to see that you did not enjoy this book :( This is actually on my most anticipated books list but I’m still willing to give it a try nonetheless.

    This is a great post btw! The GIFs made me LOL >.<
    EM @ Books and Iced Coffee recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday (24): The Harry Potter Spells TagMy Profile

    Reply
  25. Chardon says

    8-06-14 at 11:28 AM

    Awh, this was one I was looking forward to picking up. Much like yourself, I’m a sucker for Salem with books. But, I have read many, not just Salem based witch books, but witch books in general, that haven’t been that interesting. Where the plot moves too slowly, or there’s just no real depth the the characters, so it isn’t that hard to believe that this one couldn’t quite make it too success either. Sorry to hear you had to read a not-so-great book. It’s never a good feeling when you put time and effort into something and it doesn’t pay off.

    Reply
  26. Carolyn says

    8-07-14 at 12:57 AM

    This book sounded really interesting and I definitely wanted to read it, but after seeing your amazing compilation of gifs :D regarding your feelings about this book. I’m now wondering whether i should just cross this off my TBR or not. But i DID actually quite enjoy the Starcrossed trilogy.. hmm.. Well i can’t wait to read your non-gif review :)

    Reply
  27. Cat says

    8-08-14 at 4:12 PM

    Oh bummer, your review is the first I’ve read for Trial by Fire and now I’m a bit worried and also not sure if I want the cheaper Kindle version or the expensive hardcover.
    I actually liked Josephine’s Starcrossed trilogy – except for the last few chapters of Goddess – and I also found the parallel universe idea quite interesting. So I guess you didn’t like it because of the boring plot and the writing style? How many goodreads stars would you give it?

    Reply
  28. Joana Aleixo says

    8-08-14 at 6:05 PM

    Ah no.. what a shame you didn’t enjoyed the book :(
    I was actually really excited about this book but after your gif review I don’t know if I wanna read it after all.

    Reply
  29. Victoria says

    8-11-14 at 2:03 PM

    Man, I am so bummed to hear that the book wasn’t all that great. I found it on accident, looking through BookTube videos and my first impressions, like yours, was OH MY GOD! This is just going to be AWESOME! I love reading about witches but I just haven;t found a good book about them yet :( I think I’ll still pick it up anyway though, just to see. Who knows, maybe I’d like it :)

    Thanks for the review!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Cali W. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi There!

Effortlessly Reading is a place where you can find book reviews, discussions, author interviews, and giveaways.

Follow By Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 945 other subscribers

Search

Follow By Bloglovin’

Follow on Bloglovin
Follow on Bloglovin

August (aka the Month School Starts) Reviews

Recent Posts

  • Trust Your Instincts: Blog Tour + Review of My So-Called Bollywood Life – Nisha Sharma
  • It’s All Too Real: Blog Tour + Review of Aftermath – Kelley Armstrong
  • Mini-Book Review: Renegades & My New Crush Gave to Me
  • What Is A Kelly: Hello, Busy Season + Constant Studying
  • Hear Me Roar: Blog Tour + Review of The Defiant – Lesley Livingston

Archive

Grab My Button

grabbutton

Disclaimer

Effortlessly Reading sometimes receives ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) from publishers or authors in exchange for honest reviews. Please note that no compensation of any kind has been provided in exchange for a review. Any use and/or duplication of my material without any permission is strictly prohibited.
  • Home
  • About
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • Policy

Copyright © 2020 Effortlessly Reading · Web Design and Development by Dinosaur Stew

Copyright © 2020 · Effortlessly Reading Custom Theme 2015 on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in