Quicksilver

by Callie Hart

Review

I had been hearing about this book nonstop since it first came out, and with so many of my friends raving about it, I went in a little nervous that it wouldn’t live up to the hype. Unfortunately, that ended up being the case for me. While I did enjoy the story overall and found it entertaining, it just didn’t meet the expectations I had built up in my head. I can’t help but wonder if part of the hype is less about the book itself and more about one character in particular—Kingfisher. He stood out to me as the strongest part of the story. Yes, he fits the typical dark, broody mold, but there’s a rawness to him that made him feel more authentic. His rough edges, his grittiness, and even his unapologetically dirty language made him magnetic, and I have to admit, that was a highlight for me.

That said, the other characters didn’t measure up to the same level of depth and complexity that Kingfisher was given. His backstory and experiences, especially as they came to light later in the book, gave him so much weight, but the rest of the cast felt a little flat in comparison. I can’t help but feel my disappointment was at least partly due to my own expectations being too high after hearing everyone else’s praise. While I don’t regret reading it, I’m not in a rush to pick up book two. If I find myself with a lull in my reading, I’ll continue the series, but it’s not something I feel the need to carve out specific time for. Overall, it was a good story, just not the groundbreaking, unforgettable one I had been led to believe it would be.