Black Bird of the Gallows Review

Title: Black Bird of the Gallows
Author: Meg Kassel
Series: Black Bird of the Gallows
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Publication Date: 05 September 2018
Source: YA Bound Book Tours
Format: eBook
Pages: 309
Rating: 4 Stars
Reading Timeline: 11 September 2018 - 12 September 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full.

Angie Dovage can tell there’s more to Reece Fernandez than just the tall, brooding athlete who has her classmates swooning, but she can’t imagine his presence signals a tragedy that will devastate her small town. When something supernatural tries to attack her, Angie is thrown into a battle between good and evil she never saw coming. Right in the center of it is Reece—and he’s not human.

What’s more, she knows something most don’t. That the secrets her town holds could kill them all. But that’s only half as dangerous as falling in love with a harbinger of death. 

Book Review:

Pre-Reading Thoughts:

I remember when this book was making its rounds on Instagram. The cover was so gorgeous and honestly, I was curious to see what this was all about. When I saw that YA Bound Book Tours was costing a tour for the second book, I jumped at the opportunity because I would finally be able to see what all the fuss is about.

Thank you so much to YA Bound Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book. Just a small disclaimer for those reading this review. I have received this book for free. Please note that this does not affect my opinion in any way. All thoughts are my own.

Writing Thoughts:

The writing in this book had a really good pace to it. The book flowed quite well from scene to scene. The dialogue was natural and entertaining to read. The writing had a great balance when it came to detail. It was never too much where it weighed the book down but it was also never too little that you couldn't visualise the supernatural beings as well as the setting.

Plot Thoughts:

I quite enjoyed the fact that the book was based on a romance that might not last. The impending sense of doom adds the necessary tension to the book. I liked how the plot focused on building the characters and the connections because it allowed for a more well-rounded cast. The plot in itself is quite slow paced which didn't really match the writing. This meant that I had to go back and reread something again because it didn't quite catch the first time.

Character Thoughts:

Whilst the characters were well rounded, I thought that they were a little bit typical. The moody love interest with a secret who happens to have a soft spot for the main character and the main character who has a terrible past and she doesn't want that to define her. I felt myself wanting more individualism and more defining characteristics.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what happens to the main character and her love interest. Do they beat destiny or do they become victims of fate? The writing had a really good pacing that allows the reader to move swiftly through the book. The plot's main focus felt as if it was the romance between the main character and her love interest whilst everything else felt secondary to that.  The characters felt too generalised and lacked some individualism despite being well developed. However, at the end of the day, I really enjoyed what I read and I cannot wait to jump into the second book! Thank you to YA Bound Book Tours for providing me with a copy.

Yours in Reading,

Melleny