[REVIEW] BELLADONNA - ADALYN GRACE (ENGLISH REVIEW)

 All reviews here are purely personal opinions and do not intend to degrade or glorify the work of others. Everyone has their own reading tastes. Thank you.

 

source: Goodreads

Title: Belladonna (Belladonna #1)

Author: Adalyn Grace

Publication date: 30 August 2022

Pages: 416 pages

ISBN: 9781529367119

Language: English

 

BLURB

For as long as Signa Farrow has been alive, the people in her life have fallen like stars...

Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being – and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy.

Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger, and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.

Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer, though, is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he’s made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful – and more irresistible – than she ever dared imagine.

 

REVIEW

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me this ARC! All review here is my honest thought.

Belladonna is an ARC book that I'm very excited to read because apart from fantasy books that have romance, there are elements of horror included in this book. It's not really horror that gives the reader goosebumps but because Signa, the main character, is able to see Death and also see ghosts/spirits wandering around. We will also be invited to solve the mysteries that arise in Signa's life.

With a little explanation above, of course, it seems that I already had high expectations with this book, unfortunately there are some things that I actually don't like. First, we have been treated to a case and want to find the perpetrator, but I feel that I did not get any clues or from Signa investigation not gave significant results but suddenly with a diary she even determined the culprit herself, to be honest, I'm not satisfied with the attitude of Signa, she is too rash. And this is also what makes me a little dislike of this Signa character.

I don't know if there's any influence for this being the first book in a series (I'm sure it's stated in Goodreads as the first book) but indeed we are more acquainted with the relationship between Signa and Death as well as Signa's power. Even though I really like the relationship between Signa and Death but it covered the main conflict or am I misinterpreting that Signa and Death's relationship is the priority? Not satisfied because the solution to the mystery appears suddenly at the end.

Although I what I feel for Signa's character is slightly reduced due to her recklessness, but actually Signa is a lonely character, losing her parents from baby and the family who raised her might only be after her inheritance. The only one accompanying her was Death. For me this is also unique because Death here as the main character, not only an important character who plays a certain role. I was confused at the beginning why Death appeared so many times, it turned out he to be the main character here. This Death also has a different "image" from what I thought. The image like stiff, no heart, etc already gone. Because it's really different here, especially if he’s been dealing with Signa! The world of Death is only revolve around Signa.

The twists that occur are also good and add a fun element to the story although there are some I can guess but there are still things that are not predictable. I believe the conflict on this book already solved clearly but there will be another mystery for Signa and Death to resolve in the next book.

I give the book rating 3.5 ⭐! Not satisfied with the way conflict solved suddenly but I still eager to read the next book. I want to see more about Signa power, their newest case and how it will be for Signa and Death to live their relationship.

ALSO READ: [REVIEW] THE CURSED AND THE BROKEN - CHLOE HODGE (ENGLISH REVIEW)