I’ve tried reading this book several times now and just couldn’t make it pass the third chapter. Very disappointing since I’ve enjoyed Garber’s over books.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable reading experience.

YA/instalove is relatable to the age-group but so overdone. This book felt like even it didn’t know what it was or where it needed to go.

A book that didn't really know what it wanted to be, so it spent too little time on every aspect. Be warned for a YA instalove.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for an ARC of Castle of the Cursed in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions that follow are my own.

"Remember that great power comes only with great sacrifice."

Castle of the Cursed follows seventeen-year-old Estela who loses her parents in a mysterious attack in the subways of New York City. Several years after the attack, Estela is in an institution and discovers that she has one remaining relative- her aunt who lives in a mysterious and creepy castle in Spain who is happy to take her in. Shortly after her arrival in Spain, Estela finds that there may be something more sinister occurring in the castle and the surrounding town of Oscuro. As she digs deeper, Estela starts to unearth deep secrets about her family she never could've imagined and isn't sure she will survive.

This book was one of those books that was kind of middle-of-the-road for me. I enjoyed the premise of the book as well as the very different magic system in play. The gothic setting was super interesting as well and the author was so descriptive that it definitely made me feel like I was in the town of Oscuro. The twists and turns were fun too however, I felt like there were too many concepts for one book. Halfway through, I definitely started to feel as though this book could have been broken into two books so that the author had more time to flesh her ideas out. The romance as well as the ending also felt slightly rushed but you could definitely tell that the author left the ending open to be able to write another book.

If a sequel comes out, I think I might read it. Overall, I would give this book a 3.5/5 stars and I would recommend it if you enjoy gothic stories and gothic romance.

I was so excited to dive into "Castle of the Cursed" by Romina Garber – a gothic YA with a living castle and a vampire prince? Yes, please! The intriguing mystery, unique concepts like the living castle, and the cool magic system really pulled me in.
However, the book's dual timeline was often confusing with abrupt jumps, and there were moments of info-dumping that felt a bit heavy. While the gothic atmosphere and world had so much potential, I just wished the story itself had been longer and more developed in terms of character arcs and plot.
Ultimately, "Castle of the Cursed" drew me into a fascinating world, but the execution left me wanting more. If you're into atmospheric gothic reads, it's worth a look, but be prepared for a story that hints at even greater things.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this new version in exchange for my honest review!

A haunting and atmospheric tale that blends family secrets with supernatural mystery. Estela’s move to her aunt’s eerie castle unravels dark truths and sparks a charged connection with the enigmatic Sebastián. With its rich setting and emotional depth, this story explores grief, identity, and resilience in a way that stays with you long after the last page.

Garber does what she does with great world building, interesting characters and time to really be absorbed in a story.

Normally this kind of book would be right up my alley, but I just couldn't get into it. I wanted to like it, but it just wasn't for me. I've loved Garber's other works, but this just didn't work for me.

Many thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press, author Romina Garber, and NetGalley for providing me the eARC. All opinions in this review are honest and my own. This title was published on July 30, 2024.

3.5 STARS

Castle of the Cursed is one trippy, ambitious ride for an YA novel. It messes with reality including an unreliable narrator, spooky times, and magic? I think the author took in a lot of inspirations and went for it when creating her own adventure to share with her readers.

Estela is a 17 year old struggling to cope with the recent death of her parents on subway. The FBI force her to go along with the vetted story that a gas leak cause the mass casualties, but she wonders why she survived. Survivor's guilt and suspicion plague her as she's forced into mental health treatment and remain afterward when she's shuttled off to a gothic, Spanish, gargoyle-laden castle. The new setting brings even more problems with local drama, all-too-real dreams, and a new yet mysterious friend.

I'm not sure what to think of this book. I was never bored because at a certain point, you strap into the rollercoaster that never slows down until the end. The plot makes for wild surprises but teeters toward too much--too many fantastical elements and other plot devices? The result was for me a feeling that the book lacked groundedness. The plot-forward approach sacrificed character development, and even the main teen romance seems underbaked and/or a side effect of the circumstances.

Overall, I would tell readers interested in the book to give it a try. It'll either be not for you or a fun time.

I like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance to read.

I couldn't make it past the first chapter. I wasn't really feeling the pull from the main character and something about the writing did not entice me to continue on.

Such a good gothic haunted house book. It handles grief so well and the way that can make you feel unhinged. The way it can warp your reality is so prevalent in this.

This dark, fairytale-inspired fantasy is lush, eerie, and beautifully written. Garber builds a world where magic is political and history is haunted—literally. The gothic castle setting is the perfect backdrop for a story about curses, identity, and power. I loved the blend of folklore and feminist rage, and the protagonist is fierce in a way that feels earned rather than performative. There were a few pacing hiccups and a bit of info-dumping early on, but the payoff is dramatic, emotional, and satisfying. A great pick if you want your fantasy with shadows, secrets, and teeth.

Great book for the fall or Halloween. I Loved the characters and the ending was great. I was excited for this book and it didn't disappoint me.

This is not my normal genre but I loved it. To me that says it is a good book. The story was so unusual and unique. I recommend to libraries serving a boastful teen readership.

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book! I really enjoyed reading it as a whole. I do have some issues with certain sections of it, but the book was overall a really fun, creepy, thrilling, romantic read. One of my favorite aspects is when an author integrates another language into the book. I loved seeing the Spanish and getting familiar with a couple of words. It adds another level to the story. Estela's journey with her family and the mystery is so unique and cool. The beginning started off very creepy, but as the story progressed, I loved the thriller and mystery aspects of trying to figure out the Castle's secrets. And oh boy, were those some secretes. While I don't normally try and guess what might happen, this story really kept me on the edge of my seat with where it was going. The plot just kept twisting in all new directions. The romance also really took me for a spin- I kept telling myself that I was just making things up, but the romance really happened. I'm not 100% if I loved it or not- sometimes it felt very pushed or things happened really quickly. It almost felt sliced-and-diced in there, but I can see that it was needed for the continuation of the plot. I also saw Felipe's storyline coming from a mile away and I have a love/hate relationship with him. I very much love that his character was added into the story, but I do not like him at all. The concept of the Castle just blew my mind and I loved every moment of it and the discovery of all it's secrets. Such a fun read.

This book started off strong and then lost me towards the middle. There’s a good way to have a lot going on in a book, but unfortunately, this was not an example. It felt too all over the place and not cohesive at all.

Thank you to St Martin’ Press, Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this novel. Here are my thoughts!

Estela seems to face sorrow after sorrow. Her parents were just killed in a strange attack that killed everyone on a subway train except for Estela. She goes to Spain to live with her estranged aunt and begins to learn about the complicated, magical past of her family. She explores the castle with the help of the mysterious Sebestian, who only she seems to be able to see.

As far as romantasy goes this one was pretty good in my opinion. It’s a little on the dark side and I would even classify some scenes as horror. So, it’s a little challenging to define genre-wise. What I really enjoyed about this one is the plot. There are lots of twists and turns that are surprising, and things moved in a logical direction. All my questions were answered and wrapped up by the end of the novel.

The setting was described beautifully, and I loved the way the Spanish was woven throughout the book. It made me feel more immersed. The characters were fine to me. I couldn’t really connect with any of them on a personal level, but it was moving to see how Estela coped and dealt with the various levels of grief she had to face throughout the book. As the novel continued, I was proud of the strength she discovered and latched onto.

Overall, I recommend this to people who enjoy romantasy but like a little bit of a dark twist as far as plot goes.

Not for me, the romance was rushed and the plot a tad bizarre. The fact that the realtionship was under two weeks was crazier than the vampires. Some people love instalove stories, I prefer slowburn. To each their own though.

Thank you to the publisher for the ALC and this ARC and this is my honest review. I read and listened in tandem.

I loved the gothic, mysterious element that this book had. The narrator was phenomenal with it... but the character was so immature that I thought she was a whiney immature teen, not an adult. I just couldn't do it because that ruined the whole book for me.