3.50 ⭐️ Ok this book was absurd but I really enjoyed it. It was kind of like if twilight and the DaVinci code had a baby that didn’t resemble either of its parents. I enjoyed the characters and how dynamic and three-dimensional they felt, but I did think that Mica’s powers coming in full force was totally abrupt. I would have liked to have seen more of Sam and gotten into his head because it seemed like he was sometimes implying that he didn’t want to do what he was doing, which made me want to root for him but I didn’t know him well enough. Overall, this book was very fast paced and surprising, it didn’t go the direction I thought it was going to at all. I would recommend this if you’re looking for something easy, quick, and that doesn’t take a lot of brain power.

I started reading this only to realize that I didn’t vibe with the writing style, and do not want to give a negative review simply because I knew starting the book that I probably wouldn’t like it. I had to DNF this. I’m sorry.

This was a really fun ride! I liked all the characters and felt the way the story unfolded was well paced.

This synopsis sounds so interesting, but the more I dwell on this book after reading it, the more problematic it feels to me... sadly, because I really wanted to love it.

Mica lives in small town Vermont with her grandmother. She feels like she is suck here and that her grandmother is super protective of her. When a new guy comes to town and shows interest in her, she is immediately drawn to him, but weird things are happening and she thinks he is connected.

I am not religious but this book and the knowledge that I do have were enough to understand this book and the plot which get pretty religious once the plot gets going. That being said, while religious, it also has a pagan character too ... which was an interesting addition.

Anywho - Mica is a determined teen and looking for more and Sam might be able to give her that so she falls fast but soon regrets it. Her insta-love is quickly turned to hatred as she learns that Sam is using her and then all Hell breaks loose literally.The overall pace of the love story, discovery, and then the action were pretty quick. This is a stand-alone and it was paced accordingly, but some things felt rushed. The ending to me seemed to wrap up very quickly. The cast of characters were interesting, Mica and her friends and Sam and his 'friends/family'. They all had parts to play and I think the author did a good job distinguishing all of them, but those descriptors were all over the place, we have the pagan, anti gun friend, the pro-gun, redneck, gay friend, one is vegan, one is Latino... there were a lot of diverse groups involved. So I guess this could appeal to most audiences.

That all being said, there were a few things that I found to be a bit off. It might be because I have spent the better of 10 years in Vermont (I only recently moved to the NH side), but it might also be that it is actually weird. So Vermont is one of the least religious states in the U.S., so the fact that there is a prominent church-going community is a bit shocking to me, not saying that they don't exist, just that it is rare in VT. Additionally, I loved that Mica is Puerto Rican, the diversity of main characters is great, however again, in Vermont it is rare... only about 2% of all the population of Vermont is Hispanic/Latino and they are mostly in the bigger cities.. not Stowe, VT. I just felt like the author was forcing this plot into this setting in a way that didn't work for me.

Then later in the book there is a quote about one of the characters being gay, he is "queer redneck" with a black boyfriend and they've "blown about a dozen New England stereotypes" ... this didn't feel right to me. New England, especially Vermont, are very open to the queer comminuty and I am not sure that a "queer redneck" would blow up the stereotypes here... I appreciate the representation, let me make that clear, but how the characters were written about made me feel icky. It felt like filler just to be inclusive.

So, overall, not the best book for me. Too much insta-love, a sketchy guy, diverse characters, but their diversity seems like filler, a too-fast wrap up and I just wanted more. Positive - it was a stand alone and I need more of those.

The book is fast-paced and is accompanied by insta-love, insta-breakup, and insta-hell breaking loose. I needed it to slow down and stop being so plot-driven, to build a stronger foundation to this new found relationship, and to allow me to connect with the characters before the world was going to come to an end. Unfortunately, none of this happened. As an avid fan of YA novels, I was disappointed with the book. The swift storytelling and the dialogue was more fitting of a middle grade novel, which I also like to read. With some content changes, I think it would be more successfully geared toward this age group. It might work even better as a graphic novel. (2.5 stars rounded to 3 stars)

I loved the concept and I thought the blurb I read before downloading sounded fun. However, the dialogue was so corny I could not get into it. I know it's YA, but it felt younger? Had I not received the copy in exchange for review, I probably would have DNF'ed this book. Strangely, I wanted to know what happened at the end, but I was not enjoying reading. Cringe example dialogue: while being chased by monsters, a character says "Holy Shit!" and another replies something like, "There is nothing holy about those little shits". It is just a firm not for me. I was expecting something more Lucifer meets Buffy with world building and mythology I could get lost in and this, unfortunately, felt very surface level.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
—-

Sadly, this book just didn’t do it for me. I found myself wanting to like it, but I was never able to immerse myself in it.
Fun book concept

This was an okay listen. I thought the storyline was interesting but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I felt like there wasn’t enough of a back story to be invested with them. The storyline had me interested so that helped save the read overall.

It’s been a while since I picked up a YA novel, but I was interested in Ann Davila Cardinal’s Breakup from Hell.

The synopsis was a hook, but, once I started reading it, I instantly liked Miguela (Mica) Angeles’s characterization. She loved her grandmother and her group of friends, even when she was at odds with them. But, it was clear as day to me that she also felt stifled by what she viewed as a monotonous life—same friends, same town, same everything. She basically wished for change, and boy did she get it in what was probably the worst way.

There was a substantial amount of religious themes present throughout Breakup from Hell. For example, the characters quoted scripture and Mica attended a religious school. However, when angels, saints, demons, and hell are involved, I pretty much expect it.

The quick pace of the story allowed for the paranormal and horror aspects to show up on page fairly early, and the events unfolded one after another. It was basically instantaneous—and it wasn’t much of a mystery for me either—because the synopsis is pretty clear as to what the story was about. I didn’t mind the predictability though, because I liked the explanation the author provided for why it was happening. And, ultimately, I was very entertained by Breakup from Hell.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Harperteen) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

I loved the idea of this book, but unfortunately, I had to DNF it 40% in. I love an insta-love story but this one lacked the pacing of the action portion of the story to keep up.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

My interest was piqued by the title and synopsis I ultimately chose to read Breakup From Hell because the synopsis and title piqued my curiosity. It had an interesting concept and a diverse group of characters. It was different from anything I've read previously.

That said, I found myself torn between intrigue and boredom. It felt as though it was longer than needed and could easily have been a novella or even a graphic novel. I realize that I am not the target audience for this particular book which could've had a lot to do with it. Yet and still, I enjoyed the overall story and am not disappointed to have read it.

Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of NetGalley, the Publisher and the author, Ann Dávila Cardinal.

Once Harper Collins comes to an agreement with the HPC Union, I'll post my review. Until then, I'll be withholding support for the company.

EDIT: Now that there's been an agreement, here's my review!

I'm going to start this off by saying that if you're looking for a romance, this isn't the book for you (don't worry, I'll get to this later).

That being said, Break Up from Hell is a fun, action packed adventure. Picture a Supernatural x Lucifer crossover but make it feminist. There's sneaking around, scheming, family secrets, Christian mythology and a whole lot of demons. I loved Miguela's relationship with her Abuela, and how close knit her friend group was. Barry was my favorite out of them (hello, Pegasus and piglets!) but I loved each of the characters so much. Things are a little campy sometimes, but that's what made the book so fun.

Now, onto the (not-so) romance. Don't get me wrong the MC Miguela dates Sam (son of satan), but it's very abrupt and not particularly romantic. She's also super suspicious of him by the second time they meet, and even mentions seeing him again just to keep an eye on him. Their "romance" doesn't even last half the book, and honestly, Sam doesn't even get all that much development compared to the other characters like Abuela and Miguela's friends. I felt like it was a bit misleading to market things as romance, the title and the blurb imply that it's the main plot, when it's very much a secondary one.

I have one more bone to pick with Breakup From Hell, but please don't think I disliked it, because that's not the case at all! In this day and age, I was pretty disappointed to have Miguela slut shame Sam's sister, Rona. I know Rona is an antagonist, but there are so many other more creative insults that could've been used instead of repeatedly calling her a "ho." Maybe it's just because the author seems to think that teens still use insults like it's the early '00s and everyone is obsessed with Mean Girls, (I can't remember the last time I heard someone use the term biatch, which was used in this) but it definitely pulled me out of the story when that was happening, which was unfortunate since it was part of the climax.


If you're looking for a fun, family and friend oriented action story, this is the book for you! Break Up From Hell had some laugh out loud moments, and some badass action scenes, if you're considering reading it, definitely try picking it up.

Breakup from Hell was not what I was expecting, but it was one interesting wild ride! Breakup from Hell is action packed and kept me interested from the beginning.

Mica meets Sam, who turns out to be a bit different, and this sets a chain of reactions for Mica and her friends. It's kind of hard to talk about what happens without giving spoilers, and I think it's best to go into this book blindly (also it's not really a romance as it's described).

Breakup from Hell had plenty of funny moments while taking on the hellish group of Sam and his friends/family. The bleak is balanced with the humor and left me wanting more. It appears to be set up like it could be a series and I am here for it.

Fascinating magic system with this book and I loved it! Plus it was good paranormal book to read! Highly rated!

What a ride. I had no idea what I was getting into when I asked for this book because it didn't match my expectations in the best way possible. First of all, the cover is gorgeous and I love it and I don't want to say it's misleading, because it tells you exactly what it is but my preconceived notions of this book were a hinderance for the first 10%. I thought I was walking into a humorous version of Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, or Fallen by Lauren Kate. Some kind of YA romance with biblical flavor with a demonic twist. Incorrect. Absolutely wrong. By that logic, I struggled to understand what I was reading until about 20% in.

At about that point I realized that this is campy as hell, Ahem.

It's a riot, honestly from start to finish, I just didn't know it yet. At about the time that the cast start having demonic visions and there are moving shadows I realized what was up. One of my favorite things about this is that it didn't pull punches in terms of horror/creep factor. Even though this the end of the world centered around a romantic relationship, from very early on there are truly graphic depictions of demons and melting flesh and fire. Just chaotic stuff. It set the stage and tone for the novel and it's woven together so well.

My one critique, if it can be called that, is that this will be better as a movie and I do mean WILL BE. There's no way that this won't be picked up somewhere and turned into a short series, or film because honestly, all the work is already done. Down to suggested soundtrack moments. This screams to be acted out, and it's effortless to see the framework for these shots. It's action packed, hilarious, just wild enough to lose yourself in. A treat.

When I tell people about this I will be sure to point out that this is campy, hilarious, and not trying to take itself too seriously. In hindsight, everything from the title, to it's tag line, even the imagery on the cover is perfect. The only thing holding this book back was me and once I got out of my own way I ate through the 25%-100% in less than three hours. Short, sweet, (unlike this review) and absolutely worth a spot on your shelf.

I really wanted to like this book, but I felt the execution was so lacking I did not want to slam it on Goodreads. I applaud the attempt at diversity, but the characters were so cardboard I thought this story would have done a lot better as a comic book, with artwork carrying what ought to have appeared in the writing. It did not seem to know if it was a book for tweens or teens. When Lucifer is defeated with a smashed cell phone, I thought, right. The audience is supposed to be fifth grade.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙔𝘼 𝙧𝙤𝙢-𝙘𝙤𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩, 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙤𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙪𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨.

📍 Read if you like:
• Undead Girl Gang
• The Babysitters Coven
• Supernatural Suspense
• Clever, Hilarious Stories

This was such a fast-paced and quick read. I found myself flying through the book, the writing is so easy to follow.

I’m surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this book. It was so fun and hilarious. This was a clever YA story.

The friendship in this story was so genuine and I felt so connected with the characters. Mica was a fascinating character, at times you’re rooting for her and at times you’re yelling at her for the decisions she makes. I also loved the supernatural side of the book.

Also, I just want to address how much I loved the connection between Mica and her grandmother. They were so close to each other and it felt so wholesome.

There were times when I found myself questioning what I was reading… with the romance and supernatural mixing.

The ending was a bit rushed in my opinion, but I enjoyed the story as a whole. I loved the representation and the characters! Also, the friendship vibe the book gave was amazing. Overall, this was a quick and unexpectedly fun read.

Thank you to HarperTeen and Netgalley for providing me with an Arc in exchange for a review.

DNF @ 5%

I will not be posting my review or star rating until the Harpercollins Union has a fair contract, in order to not cross the picket line. Please help support the union in anyway you can whether that be spreading awareness or donating.

This was a supernatural lovers to enemies and I ate this story up! It was such a fun and entertaining read for me, while having themes of growing up, identity and importance of family (Abuela) and friends who become family! I loved the main character, Mica and as I kept reading on, I felt like I was rooting for her so much. When I read YA books like this, I think about how a younger me would have LOVED this story. I def felt like I was watching a tv series! The love interest, Sam had a big secret he was keeping which once was revealed made the story really snowball, making the story feel like nonstop action! Some parts had me shook and others actually made me laugh out loud.

This was a fantastic YA book that I honestly couldn’t put down. I loved Mica and her friends and how the story evolved the way it did. It was really well written and the characters were all well developed. And I absolutely adored Abuela!! Based on the ending it looks like the author isn’t done with these characters, so I definitely look forward to seeing what will happen next with them all!