The Secret Gift

I really enjoyed this book. While it read a lot like any other fantasy young adult novel, it was a refreshing change of pace to read the story of a villain rather than the hero. I’m a huge fan of digging into the background of characters, and learning what drives the choices that they make, however good or bad. I was not disappointed at all.

I enjoyed Jezebel’s development into a more fierce and confident person. Though I knew that she would eventually become the villain, I couldn’t help but root for her as she refused to allow her friends to use her for her gift, and as she stood up to her father. While I didn’t actually agree with the things she did, I understood why she would feel that she had no other choice. I loved seeing her develop from someone meek and quiet into someone clever and manipulative, always seeming to think ahead and survive.

Overall, this was a fast, fun read and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

The Secret Gift by Bethany Atazadeh is sure to captivate readers with the interesting villain origin story.

This book can definitely be read independently of the other books in this world/series. This is the first book I have read by the author (although it won't be the last).

Jezebel has learned that everyone who she allows to use her will pounce upon the opportunity. Her gift is valuable and something she is sure everyone in her life will want to take advantage of, even at her detriment. When her secret shapeshifting abilities come to light, how far will she go to protect herself and her secrets?

Jezebel's misbelief is written really well. It is clear why she thinks people will want to use her. I could understand her fear of trusting others and could see how in her position, it would be easy to let fear reign.

The worldbuilding was really solid in this book. The culture felt believable, while being fairly unique.

I thought Jezebel's descent into villainy was a bit too steep. I would have loved to see more time between each of her steps into darkness. I would have loved to see her react to each of her crimes and slowly become numb to the guilt.

Overall, this book was a quick, clean, easy read. I would recommend this book to lovers of fairy tale retellings!

I received a review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The first book in a new trilogy. Jezebel thought she could trust her friends, but she was wrong. She has to decide just how far she's willing to go to protect and save herself. On one hand I want to root for her, but as she continues on her journey, I'm on the fence. I can see why she made the choices she made. When you don't learn the life lessons you need to make good and moral choices, a person as a tendency to make bad choices. I have trouble with stories that are told by the protagonist pov, because I want to like the main character and that's hard to do when they're not always a good person. It does make for an interesting read, though.

This is the origin story of Jezebel who I believe goes on to become a villain in the The Stolen Kingdom series. Having never read any of Atazadeh's books before, I was worried that I would struggle to get into this, and whilst I might have lost some of the nuance, the novella was very enjoyable.

At the beginning I was concerned about the lack of development of Jezebel's friends, but this becomes clear and necessary as you continue reading. No spoilers! You really see Jezebel's growth throughout the novella as she comes into her own, and the startings of a villain. Atazadeh does a great job of making us empathise with Jezebel. I kept reading to find out what she would do next!

I would recommend to anyone that enjoys YA fantasy for a fun, quick read. I'll definitely be checking out some of the author's other work.

Well written with an enjoyable storyline and well developed characters. The level of worldbuilding is also good and I would love to read more by this author

I enjoyed this one a lot!
Jezebel is no damsel-in-distress and I just love her. She made mistakes, but she did what has to be done, as in the best she could do given the circumstances. I love that she is fierce and determined without being "bratty", and although I feel bad for some of the... cursed characters (lol), we all have to admit two of them deserved that treatment.
I love this book. Looking forward the next one!

I finished this book in ONE DAY! It was a quick read and easy to follow. I didn’t really know what to think about it towards the beginning but as the plot progressed I kept finding my eyes getting wider and wider in surprise. It was interesting and different and I couldn’t stop reading.

I have not read the series that is connect to this spin off and published previously but I do not think that impacted my experience. There may have been some snippets that would have been more meaningful had I known the previous series but nothing was glaringly obvious.

Review posted to Goodreads and Barnes & Noble.

This book was so easy to read! It was a fun, whimsical adventure through a charming fantasy world. Honestly, this is teen fiction at its most entertaining - I was captivated, and genuinely couldn't put it down, despite probably not being the target audience. It was so refreshing to see a heroine make - while not necessarily the morally correct choices - absolutely the smartest choices! Jezebel covers her tracks and gets things done. Good for her. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series!

Set in the Jinn world, Jezebel and her friends of little or no magic stumble upon an entrance to the human world. Jezebel has a powerful but secret gift that she's hid from them for fear that they would use her or see her differently. Of course, nothing ever happens as it should.

This is the first book I’ve read in the series, and I was pleasantly surprised with how interesting it is! Jezebel is relatable in her motivations for keeping her powers secret, even as she makes choices to protect herself. I'm not sure if it's a direct retelling or one specific fairy tale, but it definitely had some Aladdin influences that the book had its own spin on. I’m dying to know what happens next! The writing feels a little simplistic at times but that didn’t stop me from liking it. I have younger sisters who would definitely love to read this.