It started out somewhat strong, i mean the blurb and the cover was beautuful and interesting. But it felt a little flat, the main character felt like she was trying too hard...and things was very obvious and boring.

It’s hard to rate this book because it started out so strong but it went downhill so quickly. My rating currently reflects my thoughts on this book but I may change it later.

Djinn is a young adult fantasy novel infused with folklore and it had strong connections to A Midsummer Night’s Dream (which I only faintly remember reading when I was younger). When I found Djinn in the Read Now section on NetGalley, I immediately jumped on the opportunity to read it because the cover was so gorgeous. I shouldn’t have been so quick to add it to my shelf though because as they say, don’t judge a book by its cover.

The first 25% of this book was phenomenal. I take notes as I was reading and I wrote “would make a good movie,” which is something I only say for spectacular books. This book seemed very similar to Twilight in the beginning and I was enjoying the similarities. It had the new girl going to a new school in a small town, it had a very similar mysterious atmosphere, and the characters were very similar to the Twilight characters. Amina was like Alice (which I love because Alice is an absolute queen), Bijou was like Bella, Sebastian was like Edward, Mandy = Jessica, Roland = Mike, Kim = Angela, etc. There was even my favorite trope in this book: the chosen one. I know it’s cliche, but it’s always so fun to read chosen one stories. My only complaint for the first 25% of the book was that there was way too many pop culture references. I don’t mind a Buffy reference every once in a while, but having references on what felt like every page was a bit much.

But then things changed. I didn’t record when my feelings exactly changed as the change was subtle until about the 45% mark when everything went down to the trash chute.

For most of this book, Bijou is unaware of the complexity of the fantasy elements in this story. Sometimes this is done successfully in books, but when every single character besides the main character is talking about this fantasy world and shocked when the main character doesn’t know what they’re talking about, it gets really annoying really fast. I was rolling my eyes and hoping that this ridiculous “everyone knows except her thing would stop.”

And then it sort of did stop and I wished that the ridiculous charade would’ve kept up because the revelations were worse. There’s several long chapters of info dumping for the revelations but it’s not done well. I got so confused and couldn’t keep track of the world because that much info was being thrown at me at once. It made it so that it was impossible to enjoy the story anymore because it was impossible to keep track of the characters or the fantasy elements anymore. Maybe if I had a spreadsheet and wrote each thing down it would’ve been easier but doing that takes the fun out of reading.

The world building turned into Alice in Wonderland vibes at the middle of the book, which is something I don’t vibe with. I’m not talking about the fun Disney movies. I’m talking about the book where it seems like the author was so high on drugs that he wrote random things for random reasons that don’t entirely make sense. Some of the things that began to happen in this book didn’t feel like it fit with the fantasy system that was set up in this world. It instead felt like it was happening just for convenience. I’m not sure how to describe this perfectly but it’s basically things that don’t fit with the described fantasy world that are randomly thrown in there that just make you think “what the frick was that. That doesn’t make sense.”

The ending crushed whatever little sliver of enjoyment I had left in this book because I was hoping that at least it would wrap up nicely, but instead it left on a cliff hanger with a rushed love triangle.

I’m so frustrated with this whole book. Everything was set up so well but the last half of the book was a train wreck that made me nearly quit reading it. I love Amina and nothing will change that, but I can’t say that I’ll be looking back on this book fondly since the majority of this book wasn’t enjoyable for me.

I loved Bijou and the mystery surrounding her. Struggling to be normal without really knowing what that means, she is trapped by her own naivety and social awkwardness, while still being a really compelling character.

Getting herself I to trouble with new teachers and the mean girls of her new school, after a lifetime of being homeschooled by her grandmother Gigi, however, turns out to be the least of her worries.

Sang Kromah has also created a really interesting world, pulling on pre-Islamic folklore and mythology, as well as any number of other cultural references, in order to twist them into anew and exciting world.

My only negative, and why the book loses a star for me, is that it's sometimes hard to keep track of who is who. Otherwise, however, this is a great book, and I would happily read more if this became a series.

The blurb caught my attention but after that I lost my interest and didn't read this book. Maybe next time.

Really loved the story and how for me did not lag. The characters and plot were done well. Really kept me interested in what may happen.

Gorgeous, full of emotions and feelings
Such a great writing style and I adore the story so much!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and BooksSoSocial for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Djinn is a magical tale that takes us on a journey of self discovery with Bijou Fitzroy. When Bijou finds out her grandmother isn't who she says she is, and Bijou herself isn't who she thought she was, her whole life gets twisted up in ways she never could have imagined. Being an empath has never been easy, but now Bijou is finding out how just how hard things can really be.

Bijou was an interesting main character. On top of her being an empath she was also homeschooled until the beginning of this book. It was interesting to watch her transition into normal school life.

The writing is so magical and captivating. My favorite thing ever is when an author can carry your mind away with an enchanting story and this is one of those times. From the early pages of Djinn I was swept away into their world and I enjoyed every minute of it. We did end up seeing some over used troupes such as new girl vs popular girl and a love triangle involving popular girl to be specific. However, I didn't find these to hinder the stories readability. There were some unexpected reveals that increased the intensity and emotions of the overall story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The story was great and the characters were fun. If you're looking for a fun YA Fantasy this could be what you're looking for.

A story about magic, myth, destiny, and hidden truths.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Bijou has spent her life moving from town to town with her grandmother Gigi. They are finally settling down and Bijou can start going to school like a normal kid. What Bijou begins to realize is that her life is anything but normal and her grandmother has been keeping some dark and disturbing secrets. As otherworldly creatures become a major presence in her life and truths are revealed, Bijou comes to learn her true identity and the destiny that awaits her.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This book is not what I expected it to be and I mean that in a good way. I thought for some reason that it was a mermaid book and while mermaids are mentioned, that is not at all what it is about. It focuses on Bijou and her coming to terms with the truth about her life and her destiny. She wrestles with the truth about her past and her grandmother and tries to come to terms with her conflicting emotions about Sebastian.

There is a good amount of suspense and mystery as well as some romance. Although the romance storyline felt unresolved to me and the ending felt a bit abrupt. I think there needed to be an epilogue to tie everything together and answer some questions that still remained. I was reading an advanced reader’s copy so perhaps she has since added an epilogue, I’m not sure. Overall, I would say it was an enjoyable read.

Djinn is a book that mixes different folklore stories and presents you a unique not-read-before story.
You follow Bijou blindly and will be intrigued what is actually going on and why some people around her act strange. However, I was not prepared that the mystery about Djinn's will be wrapped up in a new mantel which I really enjoyed.

This was a brilliantly paced novel, with a great plot. I loved the way this was based on the traditional legends of the Djinn with a modern twist. A great read for any fantasy lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy for review,

I flew through this book. I ended up really enjoying it. I found Bijou to be an interesting character. I also think the author did an excellent job of capturing the general essence of djinn, beings who are devious and tricky. You never really know who you can trust, which characters are human and which ones aren't. The only issue I had is that we never really get to see the extent of what or who Bijou really is. The cliffhanger leaves a lot of questions unanswered. I really hope we get a sequel, because I think the world and characters are well developed and intriguing. I also would like to see more of the dynamic between Bijou, Sebastian, and Nicholai.

I’ve heard it’s great and I would love to actually review it but unfortunately my phone won’t allow me to open the books on net galley I will be questioning people about this but until then there will be seven books with this message written! BUY IT THOUGH! They are pretty and I’ve heard great things!

I'm a sucker for folktale retellings and that's definitely what snagged my eye the most in this story! The added bonus was the rich mystery and well-woven storylines!

I really enjoyed reading and getting to know Bijou, the characters were great and I found the plot really unique.

It doesnt support or open after I download the pdf version of it. It's also not showing in my shelf in netgalley and I cant open it to read Please look into the issue and if you can send me the pdf in my mail ID- taniagungunsarkar@gmail.com I cant read the book from here. Please look into the issue

Thanks to @Netgalley for this ARC.

I absolutely loved the mythology aspect of this book. The timelines were really cool, unique and complicated and I loved the African / middle eastern aspect of the mythology and magic.

However the insta-love was a bit annoying, some of the explanations of the past got a bit confusing and I was really struggling to keep track of characters in the 3rd quarter of the book.

I loved Bijou but damn our girl is DENSE. Things happening around her would be so obvious and she just have no idea, and so this got quite frustrating by the end.

Also, WTH was with that ending Sang??? Why are you leaving me hanging like this???

I would really love to delve more into the world of the Djinn and see what happens after this book BUT atm it doesn't look like there's a sequel so I guess I'm a bit stuck right now!

It was a fun fast paced YA Fantasy set in Maryland, USA with lots of Buffy references and a link to A Midsummer Night's Dream, both of which I enjoyed!

This book had me from the beginning! I never thought I was going to like it till a friend said she was enjoying it. So here I am writing a review.

This book was so fresh. It was different then what I have read before. And that makes the story that more interesting and fun to read.

I loved the story. The characters were well thought out and perfect.

The cover art looked intriguing and the blurb promised fantasy and mythology in a contemporary setting and I thought hell yes, finally something to sink my teeth into after arduously making my way through <i>Sense and Sensibility.</i> Plus, the added benefit of reading about djinn again.

The beginning is a bit slow and amateurish, nothing I haven’t seen before, I thought, maybe it gets better. And then the story takes a deep dive into a high school melodrama with the familiar clichés, two-dimensional characters who neither learn nor develop, and second-hand embarrassment. We have the insta-love, the insta-hate between the main character and the school cheerleader. Something happens in an early PE class and it is not addressed again (not the obvious attempt to harm a schoolmate, nor Gigi’s later freakout about Bijou being near water, either).

Bijou seemed like an interesting character: she has had little interaction with people of her age and being an empath, she could feel others’ emotions. It must have been overwhelming in a high school full of hormonal teenagers. Her card shuffling was a nice touch (which later disappeared for no good reason and reappeared for a brief moment to be immediately forgotten). Halfway through the book however, it became clear that she was hardly a protagonist rather than a passive observer of the events.

Everyone else seemed to have an agenda and it was difficult to keep track of who was trustworthy. Even Bijou herself lies at first to present herself as more interesting. When it turns out she’d been lied to her whole life, she’s shocked at the revelations. The twins jumped into her life and immediately made themselves her bffs, offering her rides home and a lunch table at school. Halfway through the book, a plethora of new characters were introduced, most of whom only appeared for one or two scenes. The “L” word is thrown around with several of them without much reason other than “he’s hot and I’m a hormonal teenager.” There was a shot at a love triangle that I didn’t realize was a love triangle until someone was obviously disappointed that a girl he knew for a few days (?? Weeks?? Timeline is vague) turned him down.

The mystical aspect of the story was presented as stories in Mythology class and then straight up explained to the heroine. The dreams were long and coherent. People had all the answers. Everyone told her relevant information when she asked and when she didn’t. There was little effort required to find out anything. Even when Bijou expressed interest in a $200 book in a store, she later got it for free. When the title turned out to be in a foreign tongue, it was changed to convenient English for everyone’s perusal.

I did enjoy Amina. She always came through for Bijou, doing a… satisfactory job of protecting her for what it was worth, though in the end she too was brushed aside as Bijou was rescued by her own awakened powers and Sebastian. Niko seemed vague and friendly and I was excited to see him again, though I’m not sure if that was because his description reminded me of someone else or because he was the only person from the truckload of new characters whom I could remember.

I feel like I would have liked the book more if I understood the references; there are simply too many pop-culture jokes to wrap my head around. I’ve never watched <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> past season 2. I have not read and do not care about <i>A Midsummer’s Night Dream.</i> Mentioning in the blurb that this story takes a new spin on the many people’s (not mine) beloved classic would attract more fans and give a warning to others (like me) that there’s bound to be a lot of things and characters I don’t understand because I’m not familiar with the source material.

In the end, everyone relevant gets their power back, Bijou magically coughs up a little plot point, a love triangle appears and flickers out, and it ends on a cliffhanger.


<i>An ARC was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

I've tried to read this book over several different formats and had issue every time. With one device it downloaded erroneously, with another it said it was incompatible and with another I believe it has now expired. It's a shame but I will hopefully get around to picking up the physical copy some time instead.

Uuuum.... If I'm being honest, I'm not entirely sure where I stand with this book. On the one hand it was an incredibly quick read, and the constant revelations and interesting mythology and folklore made it nearly impossible to put it down. On the other hand, I didn't particularly like the characters or the way the story was written. So, I think 2.5 stars if a fair summary of my feelings towards the book.

I do, however, want to make clear that I think the mythology aspect of the book is incredible! Kromah has managed to create an intricate, interesting world filled with creatures, characters, and stories that are simultaneously as familiar and comforting as your favourite old sweater and exciting and brand new. My favourite parts of the book were the stories characters told each other, dreams they had, or book passages they read. But it all felt a bit like too much exposition - in the end, I think I would have enjoyed a story set in its entirety in the djinn world much more; I don't think her attempt to mix fantasy and a contemporary, American setting was very successful.

I also didn't really like any of the main characters. I know it's YA, so it's understandable that the book is filled with tropes, but I can't say they were beautifully executed or well-woven into the story. There's insta-love, there's the classic new girl vs the beautiful bully trope, there's even an attempt at a love triangle towards the very end! These are all "flaws" I would be willing to overlook, if I felt like I could understand the characters and their motives overall - but... I really couldn't. I couldn't understand why, after everything that's been happening, Bijou kept trusting people and just believing every. single. thing a complete stranger would tell her. It all just seemed a bit too naive, and it made it difficult for me to sympathize with a character I thought was reckless, often irrational, and dumb. I did, however, develop a soft spot for Gigi and Nikolai, and if there's a sequel to this book (and I believe there will be), I will definitely read it, just to see how these two characters, their dynamic, and relationship develops.

**An ARC was provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**