I received this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*

Wow, this surprised me, and now I'm dying for the second book when the first one isn't even out yet! Cassie is a 17 year old girl who suffers quite badly from OCD. She finds out she is actually a 'scryer', and some of her visions are not a product of OCD, but a product of her abilities. Cue the really cool, science-based magic school for scrying. And the vision that her boyfriend is destined to die. Here is my CAWPILE breakdown:

Characters (8):
The characters were developed subtly and consistently in a way that felt entirely natural. When I finished the book it took me a while to realise the characters had grown a lot throughout the book, because it was never a series of 'pushy arcs'. Cassie suffers from OCD, which I thought was accurately and honestly portrayed. I have OCD myself and I often find the portrayal of OCD in popular culture is incorrect and harmful for OCD awareness. However, Cassie talks about her anxiety relieving rituals, the therapy she has had, and her thoughts about her OCD that venture far further into the real world than the usual 'I needed to straighten the thing'. In Foretold, we see Carrie wrestle with her OCD and learn to talk about it with those she cares about, rather than bottle up her suffering.
Her best friend, Regan, is instantly supportive. Regan is a bright and bubbly character, who uses the OTT energy to mask her own pain. At first I thought she was a very obtuse character, and a complete airhead. But as I got to know her, I saw the kind of wisdom and joy a person can present after experiencing suffering.
Griffin was an interesting character. A typical 'man' character that used humour and facetious comments, that was actually kind and soft hearted underneath. He openly denounced toxic masculinity, noting he was secure in himself. While it might seem insignificant, I think it is important to incorporate that into YA literature to help reduce toxic masculinity... The kind of comments like, 'What? I'm secure enough in my own masculinity to acknowledge another guy's aesthetic appeal', were so fluid and normal that it actually took me by surprise.
Noah, on the other hand, had a complete backwards arc which was very well done. A kind and nerdy guy became the world's biggest asshole. I can see why, but it revealed much about his personality to turn heel like that...

Atmosphere (9):
The atmosphere of this was wonderful. I could completely visualise the Coil, Mrs O's shop, the rooftop of Cassie's house... There were moments where I was reading so fast and intently that my mouth dried out from how absorbed I was.

Writing (9):
The writing was complete accessible without being too casual or irritating. I often find that YA books lack the sophistication of regular NA or adult fantasy, and the childish chattering narration is grating. However, Lumani finds a perfect balance between casual and sophisticated, making this easy to read for YA audiences, as well as adults. Her level of description and world building was brilliant and I could so clearly visualise everything in the story.

Plot (10):
My goodness, this twisted and turned like a twisty turny thing. The general plot centers around Cassie needing to change the outcome of her vision where her boyfriend dies. There are overlying and underlying plots too that gave the whole story depth. While Cassie is investigating illegal rituals to prevent Colin's death, there is a supposed terrorist group, corrupt corporations withholding important information from the scrying populous, scheming and plotting assholes that you wouldn't expect were pulling so many strings, as well as the general psychic education of Cassie and her classmates as they prepare for the 'Coil Walk', a sort of psychic survival expedition but with monsters. I'm utterly dumbfounded, because the way everything tied into everything was done so well. I need the second book... yesterday.

Intrigue (9):
The lore of Lumani's world was intricate and fascinating, and I was utterly intoxicated by the secret scrying community living in plain sight. The ways in which scryers blended into society, doing mundane tasks with the scrying abilities was completely brilliant. I mean, insurance sales to people they know will never ever need it? Genius! There was so much going on, but not in an overwhelming way. I kept wanting to go back and pick up my book at every possible moment, and tearing myself away from it to work on my masters thesis was agony.

Logic (9):
Did everything make sense? Yes. In a world with psychic and supernatural abilities, it is so easy to fall into the trap of more is more, and you get completely lost in the magic of things. However, Lumani stuck to a less is more approach, which made everything about the scrying more believable and I was completely invested. One example would be this- Cassie's abilities are far stronger than her peers, but not in a 'the main character has to be special' kind of way. Cassie's OCD familiarised her so much with 'what if' scenarios, that reading into the future was almost an instinct to her, making her more proficient at scrying. That is a very real, believable argument for why a main character is different. None of this 'chosen one' stuff!

Enjoyment (10):
I absolutely loved this book, if you couldn't tell. It had everything I could have possibly wanted and more. The writing was great, the story was fantastic, and the representation of OCD and mental illness was done in a very open and unoffensive way, which I really appreciated. Nothing about it was gimmicky and I found it utterly thrilling to read.

I was a little hesitant at the beginning to read another YA book. However, I enjoyed thr plot description and gave it a shot. I'm really glad I did! While the MC is a 16/17 year old, the mental health issues, loss of her mother when she was young, and the other decisions and weights that come in her throughout the book from her actions and others do not place it in the typical angsty, teen category. There were no editing issues that stuck with me, I was able to easily read the story and follow it, and I found myself staying up late to read it until the last dozen chapters. Then, I made myself slow down so it would last. I will make sure to get the second book. While the ending was able to be foreseen (ha,ha), Lumani didn't make it into a "been there, done that" twist or cliffhanger. While I wasn't surprised, I still enjoyed hope she portrayed the climax to the first book. A solid 4 stars and anticipation for the second book!

Mythology, secret societies, and premonitions?! Sounds like it would be awesome, right? Sadly, no.

Basically after the death of her mom, Cassandra’s extreme ocd and anxiety spikes. She sees death and destruction wherever she goes, blaming her illnesses for envisioning the multitudes of possible demises, she is surprised to learn they’re actually visions. She ends up seeing the death of her neighbor, who she likes, and decides to stop his death from happening—enter the secret society.

I was so excited to read this book. The gorgeous cover and the description really snagged my attention, but the book fell flat for me. The pacing is really odd and slow, and I didn’t really feel connected to the storyline or characters.

Steeped in Greek Mythology, Violet Lumani introduces a world where Scrying, a talent passed down generations, is not limited to fortune-telling in a tent, but rather a world with technology, politics and where there is politics there is always deception.

Following the death of her mother, Cassandra has debilitating OCD and anxiety. Everywhere she looks she sees Death. Not literally, of course. But wait? It all kicks off when she sees a boy die across the street only to meet him ten minutes later - he's her new next-door neighbour.

WHAT!?

How does that even work?

Cassandra is a scryer and her goal is to save the boy because basically, she likes him. He likes her. And she's not so sure that's ever going to happen again.

The best thing about this book was the fact that it reps OCD and anxiety and gifts them to a girl, who works to overcome them. However, the pacing of the book was off - it would start slowly and then be racing along making it hard to follow. Also, I wasn't a fan of the insta-love which was problematic for a number of reasons.

Overall very good though. I loved the concept, the representation of mental illness, the unpredictable twists and the villains.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Uproar Books and Violet Lumani for the opportunity to read this E-Arc in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

2 Stars

I had such high hopes for this book. The cover is gorgeous, and the synopsis made me want to read this book. I was sadly disappointed with what I got and expected so much more from this.

This book focuses on our main character, Cassandra. She sees death and devastation all around her. Cassandra suffers from OCD, and she imagines the worst possible situations. But these situations aren’t her imagination rather, these are visions she has. When Cassandra foretold the death of her next-door neighbor, Colin, She must immerse herself in a secret organization to help him.

Cool Concept, Right? Unfortunately, it was not executed well and end up being lacklustre. One of the main problems with the book is worldbuilding. (Specifically how this worldbuilding is) When we are introduced to this secret organization, information is thrown at us. This book suffers from lots of info-dumping. This caused lots of confusion. It was hard for me to grasp the concept of their magic system and how they scry visions. I felt like this could have been better if the worldbuilding was not thrown at us at once, but rather dropping bits of information here and there.

The pacing of this book was not consistent at all. At the beginning of the book, it takes a while for it to pick up. Same for the middle, it still keeps this pretty slow pace and doesn’t pick up towards the very end. It finally starts to pick up within the last 100 pages or so. This leads to the ending feeling very rushed and makes the ending very sloppy. Earlier sections in the book could have shortened the length, or they could have taken out scenes altogether. Mainly the pacing is what took me so long to read this book. When I first started reading the book, I could only read a little at a time because I would start to get bored. If the pacing was more consistent and didn’t drag so much, I feel like I could have enjoyed this book more.

One thing I did like about the book was the OCD representation. Our main character, Cassandra has OCD and extreme anxiety. Lumani brought Cassandra’s OCD to life and brought empathy to her grief. She handled it respectfully. Her OCD is drawn accurately, and it helps me to understand what it’s like to live with OCD. I appreciate how Lumani doesn’t try to portray OCD in a pop culture clique way but rather did it sensitively and thoughtfully.

The romance was a bit insta-love for me. It felt like Cassandra immediately had feelings for the boy she liked and it didn’t feel developed that much. Sure, you have scenes where they are joking around like friends, but then all of the sudden Cassandra has feelings for him. I would have liked if this relationship was developed more because we only see this relationship towards the beginning and end. This is mainly due to Cassandra being at camp, so she is not spending as much time with the boy.

The whole plot that the Aunt had planned also made no sense to me. It wasn’t developed, and the way it was written made it confusing to follow. The writing was also okay in this book. It wasn’t anything amazing, but just bland most of the time.

The characters were very bland. Most of them were very forgettable, and none of them stood out. Usually, when I’m reading, I want to root for a character and wish for the best to happen for them. But here, I’m not invested in the characters. Cassandra was bland and uninteresting. I wasn’t invested in her goal or journey through this book. She doesn’t have a personality of her own, and she doesn’t even feel like the main character. She feels like one of those characters that are present for five to ten chapters and then goes away.

Overall, this could have been a spectacular book, but many flaws held it back from reaching that potential. Overall, it was a bland book with many technical flaws.

TW: Blood, Death

Thank you to NetGallery for this Arc in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 4.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Uproar Books for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Foretold is the first book in The Scryers series. We follow Cassandra, who suffers from OCD and anxiety since her mother’s death.
This book grabbed my attention with the very first paragraph and didn’t let go for one moment. I binge read this book in one afternoon!
The writing style was really enjoyable, and the description of Cassie’s conditions were handled and executed really well. Because it was sometimes hard to read, you learn and understand more how hard having a condition like OCD really is. I felt and bought the realism, and I could relate to her. She was just an amazing relatable character who I kept rooting for during the whole book. After reading the author’s own struggle which inspired the story that all made sense and I truly applaud her for the execution!
It really became a fantasy book when Cassie goes starts to learn and control her abilities. I love this different take on powers. It isn’t something that I’ve seen much in books as the main power in the world. The story really distinguishes itself in this category. I was a bit confused by the Coil and its workings, but not enough for it to overshadow the enjoyment of reading this book.
The romance is sweet and the awkwardness that the characters as teenagers bring with them is really fun to read. The potential and hints for a love triangle isn’t really something I love though.
I loved all the little facts thrown into the story and honestly it really made me wanna play trivinometry. The hints to classic literature throughout the book are also really nice to read.
Overall, it was a super start to a new series, it left me wanting more and I can’t wait to see what it’ll bring in future books! I’m definitely pre-ordering this book just to read it again when it comes out!

Firstly, Thanks Net Galley for the ARC of Violet Lumani’s Foretold ♥️

The beginning felt like a struggle, I kept putting it down and doing other things. However after a few chapters I started to fall in love, maybe it was the Greek myth references that really caught my attention.
(With out spoiling it) the ending left me breathless and mad! Mainly because I wasn’t ready for how it ended. Definitely didn’t see that coming

Now the main reason why I think this book stands out. I love the way Violet wrote about OCD. This wasn’t a throw away line used to add depth to the protagonist. But rather something that she struggled with every step of the way. All of this was beautifully written and really made you feel like you gained a new understanding for people struggling with mental health.

📚📚📚 I highly recommend reading this when it comes out on July 20th 2021! 📚📚📚

This is a strong 3.5 for me. While I admit that the cover was my favorite part, I will also say that I liked the characters more than I thought I would. They are, for the most part, well-drawn and reasonably easy to empathize with. That said: The pacing felt bizarre for more than half of the book and was, at best, inconsistent.

“The most beautiful dead boy in the world is looking over at me for the second time today.”

This line opens up a cascading row of events that flow on to each other so seamlessly that I finished this book almost in one sitting (I would have, if not for work).

Cassandra is grieving the death of her mother and learning to deal with her severe OCD one day at a time and trying to keep it together for herself and her dad. She has visions, which she thinks is because of anxiety but sometimes her most dreaded visions do come true.

The world-building, the fantasy elements, the magic system, they just fit each other perfectly. It's like Harry Potter universe and Hunger Games merged together to form this unique piece of strong friendships, family, and magic woven into its soul.

Though I must say, the ending did leave me heart broken, but I can't wait to dig into the next one as soon as it comes out!

Ever since the death of her mother two years before, Cassie has suffered from OCD and extreme anxiety. On the day she meets the cute boy next door she foresees his death and she is determined to save him. Cassie is introduced to a secret society of seers and is invited to learn how to use her gifts, but not everything is as it seems and there is always a price to pay when changing the future. This was an excellent and intriguing story. The character development was strong for most characters. I'm hoping to learn more about Sebastian and Aunt Bree in the next installment. The writing is well done and the story is well told. I was drawn to the gorgeous cover, but the story is what really pulled me in. I will definitely be reading the next book in this series! Thank you to NetGalley and Uproar Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up

This was a fun and easy read - I whipped through this in an afternoon, and definitely enjoyed it. It is the first in a new series by Violent Lumani, and it's safe to say I will absolutely be reading the rest of the series.

The book's shining moments come from Lumani's reflections on OCD and mental illness. At times, this feels like a poignant and moving meditation on the pain of grief, and the repercussions on one's mental health. These themes were handled with incredible sensitivity and genuine emotion, and it made for a very moving read. I also loved the subtle references to certain mythological/historical moments - as a history and mythology buff, these were very much appreciate.

I think for me, the issue was that at times it fell into standard YA tropes that I am not the biggest fan of. Whilst Cassie was a fabulous protagonist, I wish some of the side characters had been more fully developed. I do think the relationship between Cassie and Colin progressed a little too quickly. It felt a little bit Insta-love, and I would have liked to have seen a little more development between them. However, this could be because I am now in my 20s and am more critical of this kind of thing. I have no doubt that many younger readers would absolutely love this.

Overall, this was a fast paced YA with a brilliant protagonist at its centre. Lumani shows great promise as a writer, and I will definitely be checking out more of her work in the future.

It’s been a long time since I posted on here, but I’m back and excited to share an upcoming book! Foretold by Violet Lumani is a fast-paced young adult fantasy centered around the lovely Cassandra, a teenage girl with debilitating OCD whose visions of death and destruction further ostracize her from her fellow classmates. When Cass discovers that her visions may not just be a symptom of her disease, but could mean actual psychic abilities, she is drawn into a world where the mystical comes to life. Other young people, with similar abilities, all drawn together to determine who is the best and the brightest of their generation of scryers. For that’s what she is. A scryer whose raw talent must be developed...especially if she intends to save the life of someone she loves for whom she foresaw a gruesome death. But every ritual comes at a cost, and despite her fortitude and determination to save her loved one she doesn’t know that she has also been drawn into a conflict that places her between two enemies who both wish to use her as an unknowing pawn in their war.

I love the hints back to classic literature peppered throughout this book, and I fell in love with Cass and the friends she makes along the way. She is so scared of her OCD and her powers, but despite those fears pushes on to help others. A story of friendship, love, and found family - Foretold is sure to be a hit! Make sure to pick up your copy when it releases on July 20th. My thanks to @netgalley, Uproar Books, and Violet Lumani for the opportunity to read this book! I can’t wait to pick up my physical copy!

The book started out with recognizable and comfortable tropes, but then it took a turn and subverted who I thought the antagonist the MC’s age would be, subverted the three best friends trope, subverted the expectation things needed to work out in the end for the MC.

The author's writing about the MC's grief and anxiety rang very true for me. And the OCD was hard to read, but it made me appreciate how hard it must be to live, and so tho I sometimes skim when I read I noticed I didn’t when the MC was dealing with her condition because it felt necessary to understanding the character.

I think those looking for a pure romance or pure thriller might find themselves wanting (tho there are those elements present). This is deeper than that, more cerebral, a meditation on pain and the mind tho it has fantasy and romantic and thriller elements. Those looking for a story that speaks to worry about the future, or anxiety, or those just looking for a satisfying thinker/feeler will be happy.

The world is rich and interesting and fun and unique, and I found myself thinking of Harry Potter, though this work didn’t feel derivative. After I finished the book I found myself wondering, in a good way, how the trilogy will end. It sat with me after I finished it too, which I always consider a good sign.

Thank you to Uproar for the advance copy.

“The most beautiful dead boy in the world is looking over at me for the second time today.”

I really loved the OCD/anxiety rep in this one. As someone who suffers from extreme anxiety, I related so much to Cassandra it was COOL. I found it easy to get lost in this world, the characters, the setting, plot... it was really fun to read this one. I also loved that Violet Lumani made her world balanced, that power comes at a cost and there is always a price to pay.

Thank you NetGalley and Uproar Books for the arc.

My disappointment from this book has absolutely nothing to do with Cassie’s OCD/anxiety. That was actually the only thing that made her an interesting character. Otherwise, she fell flat like most of the other characters and plot. It was hard to care about this book because there was not enough interest in the main character's goal. Cassie knew Colin for two seconds before she decided she would rather die than let her vision come to pass. I get instant love happens sometimes but this was a bit dramatic. Cassie’s overall behavior was juvenile. It did go along with the plot though so I guess it worked.

Besides Cassie’s quest to change her vision, I am not sure what her Aunt's big plot was. It was never really explained. In the end, the book was confusing. I wish the plot had been better because the mental health aspect was represented well.

I enjoyed a lot about this book- the imagery and the world that is created, the bonds made between friends. There are love triangles, new and hidden feelings of affection as with most high school aged stories. Life struggles, overcoming mean characters and lots of exciting adventures. Cassie allows her feelings to overrule her common sense on many occasions which took away from the story for me. I kept thinking that she was making too many self sacrifices with too much self doubt and negative self talk. There were plenty of powerful moments that had me reading furiously to find out the outcome. Life altering challenges fought and good insight into a life with OCD. The end seemed abrupt and although it is going to be a series I still felt that there was too much left unfinished. All this won’t stop me from reading the second book in the series as I am eager to see how the story progresses. Thank you Violet Lumani and Uproar Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

thanks to netgalley for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

this book was a basic ya with no depth and no character development. the characters were annoying and the love triangle was very much tired. everything was predictable. the writing was mediocre, and the plot was boring and had nothing going for it. the main character was dull and uninteresting and barely had a personality. she was beyond frustrating to read from. i was excited for the OCD representation in this book and it fell very short for me. had to skim the last part of the book because it was that infuriating to get through.

“The most beautiful dead boy in the world is looking over at me for the second time today.”

Sixteen year old Cassandra Mori has suffered from OCD and extreme anxiety since the death of her mother two years ago. So much so in fact,that her anxiety attacks manifest into envisioning death and disaster around her, including the death of the boy next door,Colin.

“It wasn’t real. But my mind whispers back: You’ve been wrong before.”

Cassandra doesn’t believe it was just her imagination,she’s predicted death before-her mum’s.In order to stop her vision coming true, she joins a secret organisation of clairvoyants and fortunes tellers who promise they can teach her how to Change the path that leads to death.

But as Cassandra learns more about her magic she realises that there’s always a price to pay. As the saying goes,you can’t cheat death.

This debut YA Fantasy from Violet Lumani was exceptionally good,the author cleverly uses Cassandra’s similarities with her mythical namesake to lull us into a false sense of security and kept me in thrall.

The writing style was enjoyable and the description of Cassandra’s conditions (OCD, anxiety) were handled sensitively and I felt brought realism and empathy to the her grief.(which made sense after finding out the author’s personal struggle with OCD inspired the story).

There were also a couple of characters, descriptions and places alluded to that, for a history / mythology buff will be appreciated. Overall it was a Superb start to a new series and I’d wholeheartedly recommend to any lovers YA Fantasy or books involving light mythology/occult themes.

I’d also just like to thank Uproar Books and Net Galley For the digital ARC.

I love the easy writing style that makes it easy to get lost in the book. I like the characters and the development throughout the story. It is definitely suitable for a teen audience.

It's hard to convey what it means to have a heroine hounded by the hidden condition you feel you've been cursed with since childhood but faring well (and in a fantasy context!) anyway, and for this the unfiltered heart of Foretold has to be commended. Overwhelmed when she discovers her talent for divination, a recently grief-ridden Cassandra is torn from her day-to-day groove of Trivinometry games and take-out dinners with her dad and tossed into the tantalizing territories of the obscure - omens and ornithomancy, occult devices and dark designs. Naive and anxious about arcane rituals and newfound romances alike - and all the while trapped in a tussle with her OCD tendencies (which are always drawn accurately and dealt with delicately by the author's authority) - Cassandra navigates the novelties of her Scryer schooling with apt nods to her namesake, netting some ardent sidekicks and shifty acquaintances along the ride. Largely faithful to the forms and fashions of YA fantasy - though the love triangle trope is a little too tired - and in line with the tragic fortunes of the lore from which it founts, the table-turning and lurching twists of fForetold's finale are flooring and fantastically full-circle. the lure of OCD-founded forecasting faculties is fresh and compelling, and it is in communicating the frustrations of compulsions that Lumani flourishes (and in furnishing cliffhangers, too, consigning Cassandra to unfurl further labyrinths both literal and conceptual). What docks marks for me was that mixed up in this otherwise delightful microcosmic world's myths and divining magic is a dearth of obvious diversity in other domains; some of the side-characters seemed like stock stereotypes and make some digs that are (maturity-wise) discomforting. Slight insensitivities aside, since it's the initial installment of a series it'd be sterling to see this improve in the sequel.