reading OUABH's finale 🏹 A Curse For True Love + full series plot recap | vlog, review, rant?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ต.ค. 2024
- Go to 1:24:19 for my non spoiler opinions of ACFTL!
and pls see my pinned comment for spoilery feelings after I come down from my book reading high :')
mentioned:
once upon a broken heart thoughts - • five star books and di...
ballad of never after live reaction - • i read 4 of my most an...
my skincare box - rb.gy/yqzhv
✨NEW VIDEOS Every Friday 8am KST✨
🍮 Join our Discord: / discord
🦢 My main channel: @caricakes
☕ Donate a coffee?
ko-fi.com/caric...
💖 FAQ
What’s my job? (Non-teaching job in korea) - bit.ly/3aeNl6x
Where do I live? (Korean apartment tour) - bit.ly/2kJK1Hk
Where am I from? - bit.ly/2xzc7hz
You can also find me here:
Contact: caricakes@sixteenth.co
Instagram: / caricakez
Bookstagram: / caricanread
StoryGraph: bit.ly/3feHU8Z
Tumblr: / caricanread
Links may be affiliate links, thank you for helping my channel!
reading OUABH's finale 🏹 A Curse For True Love + full series plot recap | vlog, review, rant?
Go to 1:24:19 for my non spoiler opinions of ACFTL!
vague spoilery feelings below:
.
.
.
.
.
after coming down from the high of marathoning an entire series in a few days, i have some more thoughts lol. I will rescind my comment that ACFTL is the best book in the series because that title still absolutely belongs to Ballad. I will say, this book left sooo many strings untied and a lot of the scenes felt like they were there to just somehow get us to the end. Like Jacks' self defense class? wtf was that? i'm here for angsty-rain-soaked-yearning jacks but also why lol. So like I've said from OUABH, this series is very much for the vibes, not the plot. This whole book felt very VERY convenient but at the same time, I had fun. Stephanie has definitely hinted strongly at more books in this world (and she's already working on something!) so I think some of the loose ends - aka everything about Chaos and the Valors - will be continued in another series in the future. I didnt love that she used Chaos and his...tendencies...to make for a dramatic moment (omg blood! death!) only to have it mean nothing in the end. Also sort of disappointed that Eva's story started with a jealous girl places curses on people and ends with a jealous girl putting curses on people but I somehow still loved the journey these weird books took us on. lmk what you think belowwww!
yess i am so here for the vibe of this world stephanie created. i wish the last like 20% was longer and more fleshed out and some of the motives for certain characters seemed just like plot devices. i also think that considering this book was supposed to wrap up eva and jack’s story, there was barely any jacks at all. i was waiting to see a jacks pov when he gave away his heart but then went back for it to burn it, but that never happened. also i think it’s so weird but also funny that when jacks tells eva that she literally died she doesn’t even bat an eye and just moves on like it’s no big deal lmao. overall the series was a fun time though and i am really gonna miss evajacks.
completely agree!! i also felt like there wasn't as much interaction between eva and jacks? It felt like the book was mostly centred around apollo which made it drag a bit. i love the magical world building though im so excited for more books T-T
@izzyborn8917 omg yes even watching this vid you can see that i mention knightlinger thinking oh ok so he's going to somehow help eva remember but then he's never mentioned again?! so bizarre? honestly i think she's trying to set up her next books and thats why there was so much focus on the valors (but also no focus on the valors lol) and the next book is going to be about chaos :''') but at what cost!!!
@izzyborn8917 i have to disagree about the jacks part. It was obvious in his pov chapters that Jacks was head over heels in love with Evangeline and was ready to give up his heart to keep her safe. He wouldn't have pined for her because in his perspective he would kill her. This is why Evangeline had to be the one to reel him in, and dont forget Jacks is severely traumatized after watching her die. I do agree the ily could have been more passionate but jacks proved his love over and over again with his over the top actions.
I enjoyed ACFTL while I was reading it, but even 2 days later the only plot points I can remember are plot holes... like she is not allowed to leave the castle!! and this is A Problem!! but then next time she wants to leave it's just... fine? What happened to all the people who didn't want the arch opened? The world is full of scary vampires and then we just... never see them again or if we do it's fine? What DID Time take from Jacks or is there just no problem with using time-turners willy nilly? ARGH.
Also BONA was so excellent in introducing fun side characters, and the memory loss plot point reverted Eva back to an incompetent outsider without support, and rendered those characters pointless for most of the book. Plus having the reader know Apollo's villainous deeds without Eva knowing (or even really wondering? Or caring? Looking at you, wishing well scene) took away what could have been actual plot. (Girl with lost memory desperately wants to believe in fairy tale ending that made her a princess but has to concede something is not right with her husband, must discover her lost memories to find out what is wrong= things that could- and probably should- have happened).
LOVED the spooky forests, foggy gardens, magical trees, and I love the yearning but the threads tying those things together needed like 40% more plot. And I expected no plot!!
SPOILER WARNING: My theory for why Jacks eats the apples is for the same reason LaLa says she makes wedding dresses: she said Fates can't help but do what they're cursed to, and so she makes dresses because it helps with her "cravings" to get married. I think Jacks eating apples was his way of dealing with the cravings to kiss, which is why he seems to eat them so often around Evangeline.
Yessss I agree! That was my interpretation too
THIS IS SUCH A GOOD OBSERVATION 😮
thATS EXACTLY WHAT I THINK
how did she give us a chapter cliffhanger “and there was only one bed” and they didn’t even?? share the bed?? they didn’t snuggle or anything?? what is the point??
Yeah I literally put down a tab and wrote, “Enter: one bed trope” and was giggling my head off, AND NOTHING HAPPENED!
There was a lot of just dropped plot points. I was really disappointed in the writing of this one compared to ballad. It almost felt like someone completely different write it or it was a first draft.
SPOILERS for the ending!!
I've seen so many people questioning how Jacks curse was broken and I have a theory because I don't think it was true love, that just doesn't make sense, if the person had to love Jacks and Jacks had to love them back you cannot tell me he didn't kiss somebody before Eva that fit this criteria. But we know Aurora cursed him and I truly believe the curse got twisted like stories do in the North - the truth is how Aurora explains it to Eva, the person Jacks kisses only doesn't die, if they could never love Jacks, everyone that could dies (that's why Donatella survives the kiss in Legendary and Finale, because she could never love Jacks, she loves Legend!). BUT we now know that his fatal kiss never had anything to do with Jacks being a fate, it was always just a "regular" curse cast by Aurora. Regular curses can get cured by what? Vampire venom! It is the strongest antidote known in the North. How do we know that - because Luc was cured from Marigolds love curse when he became a vampire. Who gets bitten by a vampire in the second book? JACKS. Which is why I believe his curse was actually cured in tbona. Jacks didn't realize it because he thought his kiss was fatal due to him being a Fate, but his heart starts beating after the night in the crypt!
I truly don't think this is how Stephanie Garber intended it, but I'm choosing to believe this theory because I feel it makes more sense than "love overcomes everything", Jacks loved the first Fox and she died.
This argument appears quite reasonable, save for one crucial detail. Near the conclusion of the book, Jacks, who was missing his Second Heart, made an attempt to kiss Eva. However, his endeavor was suddenly thwarted by the Glass Bracelet she wore, an ancient artifact whose protective powers shielded her from unforeseen dangers. Hence, the kiss appeared still very lethal.
@@manjirosano9960 it was mentioned that it only stopped him cause his intentions were harmful. So he believed that he would kill her if he kissed her. Not that the kiss would actually hurt her
Towards the end of the book, despite Jacks' actions, like killing a fox and making some questionable decisions, it's evident that he still cares for Eva. He consistently warned her to leave and, although his attempt to kiss her appeared menacing, it seems he hoped it would be harmless. So, it doesn't seem like he intended to harm her. More like, the kiss was.
Otherwise, his ongoing efforts to protect her throughout the series would be in vain, and Jacks wasn't that dumb.
After Eva and Jacks reunite, he himself uses this "false" kiss as an argument for why they can't be together. We can all see that the kiss was still risky. If Jacks had sinister intentions, the item would have activated before he even considered the kiss.
Additionally, we observe that the first time Apollo was injured by the glass bracelet, his intentions were not malevolent; it was unintentional, yet the item still activated, indicating its ability to detect danger regardless of intent.
I'll quote Apollo's thoughts:
"He also hoped that he was wrong. Because if Apollo was right-if this was Vengeance Slaughterwood’s missing cuff of protection-then that meant Apollo had been about to hurt her."
So, no. Apollo unconsciously, unintentionally was about to hurt her.
@@manjirosano9960 I see your point, I also know my theory opens up so many more questions about what his "sacrifice" for being a Fate is. LaLa always weeps poisonous tears at the altar because she will never marry, and we thought Jacks' kiss is lethal because he is a Fate. If it is just a regular curse, then that doesn't make sense with Jacks being a Fate. Is his sacrifice never being able to love and did he overcome that by loving Evangeline?
However, those questions arise in any way now that we know Jacks was cursed by Aurora. It bugs me that we have to theorize about why his kiss wasn't lethal and that it wasn't really explained, but I simply think Stephanie Garber wrote herself into a corner with all that we know about Fates from the Caraval series and everything we know about curses from the OUABH series. I really think the book would have benefitted from her not having to write it under such a time crunch, I would have gladly waited another year if that had meant we would have gotten a story that answers questions instead of opening up more plotholes...😶🌫
Concerning the cuff I believe it stops people with harmful intentions and Jacks wanted to harm her because he didn't have his heart (he was only the part of him that's a cruel Fate at that moment). I don't know how to explain Apollo and the cuff, but it seems SG doesn't know either, so I'm sticking with my vampire venom theory 😄
@@Noann100 Yeah, I agree with you. The last book came off as a bit hurried. There were many plot-holes and logical questions that remain unanswered. Here, I recalled that Jacks, even heartless, one time seemed to be cruel to her and another time was restraining himself from being gentler, when he was about to burn his Second Heart. That's why I probed that he didn't have any harmful intentions towards her when he leaned in for a kiss, just scaring her away. Or else, why did he go out his way to protect and keep her safe then to do what, kill her in the end? He is smarter.
“Evangeline represents the very naïve inner child that everyone of us have” YES Cari, definitely yes ❤
No when you said "why is this series my whole personality" I FELT THAT FR
truly hahahhaa
Me buying apple tea and having fox wallpaper on my phone 😭😭😭
@@priyankayadav-nz7zn ONG LITERALLY ME, I draw foxes and archer bows everywhere T.T
@@lilmeowmeow667 now u giving me ideas xD
i really really loved ballad and ouabh - but the last book genuinely ... left me incredibly disappointed. i had to stop several times and even ask my friend whether their copy was the same as mine, because the writing felt so off and different and it didn't pull me into the world and book as well as the first two did. there were so many things that didn't make sense! at all! so many things were handwaved, so many things felt convenient or were just present to get them to their happily ever after instead of driving the actual plot forward. i HATE that we got more insight into apollo than jacks. HE'S THE MAIN MALE LEAD!! why is he even BARELY in it? idk. this was my #1 most anticipated read of this year and after reading it i just feel hollow and awful. i was expecting a bigger, grander declaration of love, more angst, more, just more more more. im so so disappointed :(
All of this. Yes. One of my most anticipated reads ever and I was heartbroken how anticlimactic and confusing the whole thing was.
Exactly! Alao i feel like her wanting to have different epilogues left the actual epilogue so mid? It was just so disappointing overall
This is how I felt also! I didn't expect to put this book down at all, and while I devoured it in a day, I definitely took some unexpected breaks. There were parts that felt too long and dragged on, while others were entirely too fast and glossed over.
PERIOD. I love this series but I'm inclined to agree! I especially was disappointed at the ending of the book and the SPECIAL EDITION EPILOGUES that were quite unnecessary tbh. I thought that the diff endings were going to be sad, like in one ending she ends up with Jacks , the other Apollo, the other maybe even Luc? but nothing lol
THIS EXACTLY
If I’m not mistaken, the last time we see Marisol is when she was headed in to meet Luc when he was still the imposter heir, and upon Evangeline’s insistence to protect her sister, Jacks basically magicked Marisol to “run”. So she ran away, and I feel like we never see her again. She’s not even mentioned once in this book LOL. Is she still running?
Lol😂
what if she died, out of exhaustion?
this has me laughing so hard lmao
EVAJACKS NATION NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT????
the way i spat my coffee on my screen at this comment hahahahahahhahahhaha
@@caricanread 💀💀💀 Damn now I feel hella proud of it lol
I ate ACFTL up in a few hours and slowly went from 🥰 to 😕. Ballad stuck with me for MONTHS. It gave me butterflies and hurt my feelings so badly. I wanted to feel the same for this finale, but I just didn’t.
Anyway, if anyone has any good fanfic recommendations, I’m taking suggestions.
Same to be honest except my feelings went downhill quickly after. I got some recs. All these are AO3.
Begin Again by taint3dhalo : My personal fave cause it gives the type of tension and drama one would find in a telenovela. I wanted to munch on popcorn for this one cause seeing Jacks play with fire was so good. This is what ACFTL Jacks should have been.
too good to be good for me by kenziroo_99 : Love the way Jacks played big brain moves in this one. Much better resolution to the whole needing Eva away from Apollo situation.
-Never After After All- by Excaliburssword : Jacks being sweet and giving Eva the apology she deserves plus angst.
- Every Version of Us by aeilns : End of Ballad what-if scenario. The standout is chapter 3 which has a realistic sort of sad ending. Very interesting take.
feeling excactly the same :( the magic of the first two books was definetly missing and I don't get it why Apollo got more chapters than Jacks! makes me so angry ugh
I would also recommend 'too good to be good for me' by kenziroo_99..it's not finished yet but really amazing and everything I wanted ACFTL to be :')
is jack's still immortal? I'm confused 😕
I’m so sad that Evangeline’s wedding that was being foreshadowed in the first book didn’t make an appearance! ACFTL was rushed, all over the place and disappointing. Stephanie admitted herself Apollo is her fav character and she struggled to write about Jacks but did she really have to make him a side character?! Also she had to re write a lot of it because originally she didn’t even include Jacks POV so no wonder it was so rushed and all over the place. What a shame.
Omg I hated the Apollo chapters.
The first 2 books were so good but book 3 was just so-so
No way she said that about Apollo💀💀💀
when did she say that about Apollo?
@@ricemaster9171 when I went to an event in London
It makes me so happy to know that even Cari finds Jacks adorable at times, he can do no wrong in our eyes
(spoilers) I love Eva's character idk why I have not seen a girl like her in forever. I feel like female characters are becoming so cookie cutter, but Eva felt kind of fresh. I was still skeptical whether or not she was actually that much different, until I realised she basically an early Disney Princess. She turns herself to stone to get a guys attention, she's excited about becoming a princess, and my favourite part was when she literally forgot to breathe when she finally kissed Jacks. But she's still grounded and understand how fair her delusions of love can go, like what happened with Apollo.
nah at the forgot how to breathe part when jacks thought he killed her I cried so hard
Thats literally what I hate about Eve.
She sounds way too naive and she’s the perfect stereotype of the girly who grew up watching too many Disney and is only dreaming about getting married…
We had enough of this kind of girls when we were kids honestly.
@@Solip_i yes Eva dreamed about love and getting married, she was naïve and that's how she got into the situation with Ansel, but the whole point was that she ended up realising that her idea of a happily ever after wasn't going to be realistic. And again, she isn't cookie-cutter, you say we've had enough of the girls who grew up wanting to get married, but I say there is nothing wrong with that. Of course having marriage being pushed onto you isn't ok, and is an issue that has been in society for hundreds of years. Also, Eva didn't even wish for marriage, she wished for true love, which is different, and yes, does come with getting married, but saying we've had enough of girls like that is silly. Girls are welcomed to wish for the things Eva did. And I think you should rewatch the Disney princess movies, because the princesses are far from just dreaming of marriage like many people love to think. They have dreams, that may not fit in with the typical "strong woman doesn't need love" ideals, but if you really understood their characters, you would realise how good of a role model they are.
one thing that bothered me was i felt like eva fought SO HARD for love throughout the entire series. i loved the first two books and it’s one of the reasons i loved eva as a hopeless romantic myself. i was so excited for acftl, especially after he used the one chance with the stones on her at the end of the 2nd book. i was ready to see him fight TOOTH AND NAIL FOR HER…. but he didn’t. yes he was trying to keep her safe and i know the poor boy is so damaged from his previous attempts at love, but i felt like he gave up so easily, where as eva was like WE’RE GONNA MAKE THIS FKN WORK IDC WHAT HAPPENS which is the energy i wanted from him so desperately. that was my main problem w the plot, also way too much apollo😭 i was waiting for my man!!!💔💔💔
I understand you so much! , I felt the same when I read the third book the first time, I also wanted Jacks to be the one to fight for her this time, after having hurt her so much before, I felt so bad when he left her abandoned at the inn again, just when he regains his memories. I reread the books over and over again and when I was reading the third one again I said to myself "It would be nice if Jacks fought for Eva, but... why would Jacks fight for her if he knew they couldn't stay together in the end?" , because they weren't meant to be" I think he was very depressed, he loved her so much and absolutely scared of never being able to let her go that he preferred to burn her heart so that she could have her happy ending, even if it wasn't with him😔
I agree with you! I wanted more from Jacks...more effort, more appearances, more showing that "even if I'm wrong for you I would do anything for you" energy...but alas :(
me: *has not read anything by this author and doesn't know anything about these characters*
also me: omg yes cari we've been together on this journey and i totally get you. *sobs*
Totally me watching these videos! I just like to see people enjoying/ranting about books/worlds/emotions for an hour lol
Low key think the next book/series in this world will be Lala’s and I won’t apologize for the person I become if that ends up being true
oh definitely its going to be a lala x chaos storyline
According to Stephanie she doesnt have anything plans on it
@@rebelcobra5099 but she's said her next book takes place in the same world so!
I also never understood if she liked Chaos while her love was Dane in the crypt
@@rebelcobra5099aren’t dane and chaos siblings too ??
I still have to put some thought into it. It was all I ever wanted, but also kinda rushed? Things were left unanswered, characters where "forgotten", HOWEVER we have an amazing growth from Jacks, Eva and their relationship. Seeing My apple-eating scoundrel suffer and in pain was heartbreaking and our little fox making bold decisions left me proud. Lastly, because I don't want to spoil anything, I wanted to point out how much I loathe, hate and am disgusted by the sight of Apollo ( I think I could do a whole essay about it). Kinda disappointed Stephanie had to compromise this book to keep her world going...
You’ve pinged my interest. I might actually add this to my tbr list🙉
I completely agree! I LOVE this series but I feel as if the last 80+ pages were rushed and compressed, I wish the book was a bit longer to compensate for it. What do you mean exactly by Stephanie having to compromise the book to keep the world going? Do you mean in the sense of having to release the book quickly because of fan requests or smth else?
This was the worst book in the series
@@liliabenrabia1055 i mean that she left a lot of things open to kinda keep us hooked and curious for another sequel. And also the pressure she had to deal with while writing acftl..
@@Booklpver i sadly agree with it
20:12 ... the exact and perfect moment to play a clip from Frozen where Elsa goes, face stoic, "You can't marry a guy you just met." and Anna counters, "You can if it's _true love!"_
Ugh, perfection 😩😂🤌
I see a Lala and Castor spin off in the future. 🥰
oh my gosh, i hope this happens! the one scene they had alluded to so many things!
Omg I would eat that up. I would totally read a book with chaos and lala but tbh I’d like to see hints of jacks and Eva (with them the stable no more tragic events)
there is an exclusive B&N second epilogue for A Curse for True Love. I would recommend reading it! It's so cute
I am glad you liked it Cari. I was so disappointed by it. I felt like a lot of it was just copy pasted form her previous book. Also a lot of it didn’t make scene or it was a pointless scene. Which was disappointing because the book is so short already. The Eva/Jacks vibes we love so much were not in this book at all. No teasing and flirting. And the final kiss was so disappointing for me. Like I have been waiting for these two to kiss for years. And brake the curse. That’s what the whole story was about and it was underwhelming. I wish I liked it. I really do.
check my pinned comment!
this was my least favorite of the trilogy and i was a bit disappointed but it was a fun read and i’d love another book in this world.
yeah i was just happy to be in that world again and im pretty sure stephanie has hinted a ton that there is more in the world coming!!!
The lack of Luc in acftl was CRIMINALLLLL. i was rlly hoping for a Luc and Jacks side quest thing to save Eva like hello it was right there 😭 The dynamic could've been so interesting like Jacks realizing js how much they loved each other. The type of guy Luc was that she had to even visit him in the first place yk?? And Luc could've realized how he messed up nd how much Jacks acc means to Eva now. THE LAST KISS COULDVE GONE TO LUC BC JACKS WOULDV'E THOUGHT THEY'D BE HAPPIER TGT AFTER GETTING TO KNOW HIM LIKE COME ONNNN. It could've been a whole thing where Luc lets her go to Jacks after the kiss bc he realizes he cant keep her like. Even without the pull of the last scar, Eva still wants Jacks like??? i hope she writes abt what happened to him bc aint no way he js up and dissappeared like that.
Totally agree, acftl wasn’t a bad book on its own but as the final one in a trilogy it was very underwhelming. I'm not against books being "no plot only vibes" but in that case Stephanie shouldn't have set up so many stuff in past books that didn’t end up going nowhere because then people are going to obviously be disappointed. All in all it was a very mid book
Reading this book felt exactly like reading finale (last book of the caraval series). It was kinda messy and a lot of remaning questions but it was worth it for the crumbs of evajacks (crumbs being the key word. I mean cmon its the last book give us moorreee). I still loved the 3 year jouney thoroughly!!
Sadly this book is my least favourite out of the three. Might be because I had high expectations since TBONA is my favourite but it felt rushed and had a few plot holes? (I literally checked how many pages I had left and after seeing there's not much left, I panicked whether will there be a fourth book despite being confirmed only three, because I thought there were not enough pages to answer everything😭🥲)
When you mentioned about the vibes, it made me realise that's the reason why I still gave it four stars despite how slightly underwhelming it felt. I'm satisfied with their ending though💖💖
Same, also my least fave and bits felt rushed but I also gave it 4 stars.
Im ready to cry again watching you reading it after finishing the book in a binge😭😭💔
💖💖💖
Ok but the way you tell the story (or give feedback) is so funny and adorable 😭 I would like to read every book through your videos and reactions!!! (if that does make sense) thank you for such a beautiful company and for reading with us 😭❤️❤️
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: THE MOMENT WEVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR
:'''''''')
in OUABH an Easter egg/ foreshadowing that blew my mind is when Eva and Apollo were getting married, the wedding vows were literally hinting to the archers curse and the mirror curse. The vows says, if one is pierced with an arrow, may the other bleed for them (Chapter 32). I mean that legit happened in TBONA when Apollo shot Eva with an arrow and they both were bleeding! Stephanie is a literal genius and insane for doing this. 🤯
I'm I the only one who wants something like a novella where Eva forces Jacks to talk and apologize to Tella and they meet everyone from Caraval?
Omg that would be amazing. I don’t care for jacks apology, but both casts meeting is *chefs kiss*. I dont know why it feels so much like a cross over when these stories are pretty closely related and the sisters (and poison) even appeared in ouabh. I just would love to know how everyones doing and seeing jacks interacting with the caraval people after he’s changed would be pretty cool
Evangeline is the hopeless romantic inner child in all of us
NOOOO!!!🤧😫😭😭😭 I DON'T WANT IT TO END!!!
i feel like its never truly over :')
@@caricanread That's a nice way to think about it❤️
I just finished reading ACOTL and SPOILERS
-
-
-
-
-
I loved that they got the ending they deserve and everything but at the same time I was left with so many unanswered questions and that bugs me so much.
Questions like:
• him being a fate and her being an immortal- this was never addressed
• Jacks’s apples?? Like you can’t just hint at the answer after three books
• The third heart scar on her wrist?
• Where was Luc and Marisol? They were never even mentioned
• Where is Tiberius? He supposedly ran away but he was never mentioned
• how did jacks become a fate?
• how is Evangeline a key? Like we never get info on that
Also why were there more than ten chapters of Apollo’s POV?? And jacks just got 6!! His whole arc seemed pointless tbh.
In the end, I will always love Eva/Jacks and they will always be one of my favorite couples and I’m so happy they got their happy ending but I need more of them 😢♥️
EDIT: now that I had more time to think about the book, I need to add this:
I think the author was trying to set up for future books but in doing so it cost her a price and the price was some of this book- so many character and plot lines got let go.
I read the bonus epilogues from B&N and Waterstones and I’m somehow more satisfied but still I’m disappointed how this book ended without wrapping important things up.
This right here!im glad I’m not the only one who felt like this. Like I love Jacks and Eva, but where was everyone else? Why did we get so little of Jacks and so much of Apollo. I felt like there where so many loose end. I have the same questions as you.
Goodness thank you for this. 100% on the same page. I did read somewhere that the apples were to curb his desire to kiss, and when he says he doesn’t need them anymore it’s because he can kiss Eva.
@@Moonlitnani Yeah exactly.
I just read the Bonus epilogues from Waterstones and B&N editions and I’m somehow better regarding more Eva/Jacks scenes but still there are so many unanswered questions.
The feelings we’re feeling right now should not be the feelings you get when you finish the last book in a series.
@@caitdupree Yeah this was a popular theory even before the third book came out and after the hinted-at answer in the epilogue of ACFTL I think that’s what the apples were for, but still we needed more explanations on their colors and everything!!
I saw a post on Tumblr detailing every color and everything but I mean shouldn’t we have gotten this in the ACTUAL book?
Sorry I seem so frustrated but that’s because I actually am 😢 readers should not feel like this after finishing the last book in a series.
theory of the apples from a girl from tiktok- he has an oral fixation, and strong urges to kiss eva or any girl, so he needs to put his lips on something aka apples.
You're my comfort channel, everytime I feel down I watch your videos. I just want to say keep up the good work and thank you!
I loved this series and the ending was amazing. They healed part of my inner child. I grew up watching fairytales and this series made me remember how much I loved those happily ever afters. Stephanie Garber has such a way of reminding older readers (30 for me) to romanticize life and have fun. Sad it’s over but can’t wait read anything else she write ❤
Honestly, kinda disappointed with the final book of the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. A Curse for True love didn't really read as a final book? Felt rushed at the end, left things out/unanswered, absolutely did not need Apollo's chapters/POV and Stephanie didn't give use enough EvaJacks which the whole story was built upon. Definitely a lackluster ending, in my opinion. Sucks because the first two books were incredibly good.
Agree. Also all the stuff with Lala and then Dane and her aren't even together and just left out totally?? Like what??
I just finished the A Curse for True Love and immediately opened your video. I love seeing your reactions😂 I need a friend like you where I can react as crazy as I can be🎉
I hope she writes a novella to give us more evajacks and maybe fill the plot holes a bit
not me screaming crying and throwing up when i caught that glimpse of the 'throne of dark' books on your kindle. i CANNOT wait for you to talk about those. i loved them so much, they're easily my favorite read of 2023.
Totally agree with you!! The trilogy isn't a masterpiece, but I still loved every second of reading them and they've been my most anticipated books these last 2 years after reading OUABH. While I'm all for loose ends seeing as she's probably going to keep writing about this world they felt rushed and messy and left me feeling unsatisfied. It made ACFTL feel more like a setup for future book series rather than focusing on tying up Evangeline and Jacks' story. Nonetheless, I will be happy to read more about the Magnificent North if/when that happens and I know I'll re-read this series many times in the future
after watching this I have so many thoughts (MAJOR SPOILERS)
.
.
.
okay, I was SHOCKED that you said this book is the best in the series. I'm glad I got to read your comment redacting that statement haha. don't get me wrong, I do love ACFTL for the vibes, but I finished this book feeling so underwhelmed. there was so much potential for the amnesia plot. i thought that we were finally going to get some well-deserved yearning from Jacks trying to get Evangeline to remember her feelings. we could have even gotten a plot where Evangeline falls in love with Jack of the Hollow (archer) instead of the Prince of Hearts. or I would have even settled for a story of Jacks training Evangeline on how to defend herself. girl gave us NOTHING.
also, there were just so many plotholes. I understand why certain things are left ambiguous for setting up future books, but I cannot justify Stephanie not giving us an explanation for how Eva survived his kiss. we have been waiting for an answer to how to break his curse for 5 books now and that whole scene was so anti-climactic and confusing. also, I couldn't help but notice how many times you said, "and chaos suddenly appears," or, "and Jack shows up" Haha. it was just such lazy writing. idk. I'm happy they got their cute ending but this book just did not do it for me.
Agreed, I’m so disappointed 😢
I agree as well. The book was so overwhelming for me, but Cari did a great summary and I could step back a second to see a bit what Stephanie was trying to do. Not how I hoped it would go, though and I’m quite disappointed.
@@BrianneHamblen i agree, this video did give me a different perspective on the book and this series as a whole so I am happy about that. I'm just so upset about the wasted potential of this final book
I loved this book/series so much, had to control myself not to read it all on the same day 😅surprised to see so many people in the comments didn't enjoy it. I only wished we could've gotten more chapters from Jacks's POV and also to get to see them be together a bit more in the end!!
But also, it has been killing me - what the hell was the thing on page 8?! 😱
I would love a caraval spoiler recap !!
What a wild ride 😂 I’m glad I decided not to watch this in the middle of the night. Omg, this is a book series I’ve never ever considered reading, but now I’m so intrigued. Especially because of that “living your own dream and not the one taught to you”, that really resonated with me and my inner child/teen and I feel like I should read it for them.
You have no idea how happy seeing this in sub box made me! Ive been killing for a spoiler-filled reading vlog of this from my booktubers to watch right after i binged curse ❤️👏
Halfway through ACFTL right now.. I’ve been impatiently waiting for this video 💖💖
💖💖💖
Maybe I missed it, but did Jacks ever claimed his third kiss??? I don't remember, which now that I think about it is very anticlimactic. You are right, the third book feels rushed and incomplete... I'm so sad 😢
I am wondering about that too. I hope we get another book with them in it or something :(
The minute i finished the book i was like now i need to know cari's opinion, i have been waiting for your review, i just wake up but i am gonna watch it first
As I reread Ballad of Never After, it hit me that Evangeline's last name is literally Fox... She was always the fox ahhh
thank you for making these types of reading hype videos. it really reminds me of how much fun reading can be just watching your reactions.
WAKE UP BABES CARI JUST POSTED ABOUT OUABH!!!
hahahahhaha
Ok. I reread rhe epilogue and I'm fully convinced that this is not the end. Read page 380 from "I still have one question..." to the end. I see what you did there Stephanie. I SEE WHAT YOU DID. 😂😢😮😅❤❤❤
Having never read these books, is it as easy as it seems to predict the twists? Like, as soon as I heard Evangeline physically couldn't speak to her step-sister, I'm like oh ok, she definitely did this. And as soon as Cari uttered the name Lucien I'm like, so that's Luc right? And lo and behold...
I thought I was haunted by TBONA’s ending . . but I wasn’t prepared to be haunted by my disappointment. ACFTL; as soon as I put it down, I realized how much I despised it. I really wish Stephanie had been fully invested for the finale. Thanks, Cari, for describing my thoughts so well
Am literally so heartbroken by the last book because I LOVED this first two but this one disappointed me so much 💔 everything felt very disjointed, unnatural, and forced and I missed Jacks he was barley even there… it felt very rushed like it was an unfleshed out rough draft, I just feel so sad rn this would have been one of my favorite series
I appreciate hearing others say they’ve forgotten the plot but remember the vibes bc that’s how I feel about so many books!!
not the charlie card as a bookmark! that made my boston girly heart so happy hahah
this video made me read the series and i am with you this is now also my whole personality, just vibes
There are so many things to talk abt with thise book, but one thing specifically: There were atleast five times when I just stopped reading and my jaw dropped because of how evil Apollo was. Like I was NOT expecting him to murder so many ppl with no remorse 😭
Also I LOVE this series with all of my heart, its in my top three series. I really loved ouabh (4.8 stars) but abona 😧 (5 stars). I loved Acftl too but I would rate it a 4 probably. It just wasnt as good as the other ones imo. Things felt not done, or not tied together ig? There were still questions. Also I wasn't a big fan of her memories being taken for so long. 😭 (Ik it was an important plot point, but I just wanted more Jacks) the scene at the phoenix tree and on were realllyyyy good tho so that made up for it.
I just listened to this whole video, spoilers included, and I still want to add it to my already long list of TBR. It sounds amazing and the way the romance is written seems like it's right up my alley.
I ate up this series during winter break and loved it. I agree: TBONA was perfection ⭐️ while ACFTL didn’t really live up to it. Still enjoyed it though and will definitely reread all of them. Stephanie’s writing is magical ✨
“Have a ball until he marries.” Literally took Whoopi Goldberg’s “This ball will never end” to a whole new level.
When you said vampire venom breaks curses i audibly gaspsed and i was like ofcourse that made so much sense i felt like you cracked a code
This series was my first book series ever. I got into books recently (because of channels like yours, lovely content btw) and I got so hyped up that read the books and then bought the hardcovers (all 3). The finale did me dirty. Stephanie did me dirty. Stephanie did APOLLO dirty. Like look how she massacred my boy and I've been team jacks until recently. To me, it feels like bad writing. Like how to we go from the ballad of never after to this yall..... I've never seen a character get assassinated as hard as Apollo. Like.... I don't blame the dude at all for the grudge he holds against Jacks. Like this dude got cursed three time BECAUSE of Jacks. Mind you Jacks approached him at first trying to be his friend, then we learn that Jacks is a fake bastard who only did that because he needs something from him, which is to get him CURSED so he can marry eva WITHOUT HIS MIND OR WILL and make her a princess so the prophecy becomes true. Then he put that suspended state curse on Apollo because Jacks still needs eva to cooperate with him to open the arch. This dude could've lost years of his life in that suspended ass state if not for eva's funky ass, a literal teenager. THEN he gets cursed with the archer curse to literally HUNT the woman he loves against his will AND hurt her multiple times (shot her leg and arm, badly, she would've died). I know this was done by LaLa but if it wasn't for Jacks being so fucking manipulative, distrustful and suspicious, eva would've helped him through without all this BUT NOOOO so LaLa interfered. This all ultimately made Apollo lose the position as the crown prince because he was practically DEAD and they got a fake prince instead. Apollo also got WHIPPED hard BY HIS OWN BROTHER(?) like this dude went THROUGH it because of 1 dramatic teenage boy who couldn't handle rejection to the point of wanting to rewind time like I'd be livid as well. Redditor with superpowers ass boy. & DON'T get me started on eva's hypocritical ass I literally can't stand her anymore she should've stayed a statue for the love for god. I have so much more to say but I'll stop here hnggg. I have 100 pages to go but I kinda give up
😭
you're actually spitting facts like Stephanie Garber kept posting on her insta like "oooh who is she gonna end up with it's a mystery" all while knowing that she fully assasinated his character? he was completely different like there was not even a smidge of a chance that he would have been endgame based on his character now? It felt so forced, I HATE when it is super obvious that an author is trying to make you hate a character by making them do out of character things etc. like it's really bad and not good writing. Disappointed tbh
You take the words out of my mouthhh Lauren like omg. I feared the character assassination from the moment Stephanie made him steal Evangeline's memories like it was so...extra? unnecessary? It came out of NOWHERE and he didn't need to do allat to prove anything??.....but she needed to make him 'worse' than Jacks so he can look better in the readers' eyes, therefore we forgive him for 'beating the greater evil'. I always thought I'm an enemies to lovers girlie (this is my first book of this kind, but i always romanticized the idea) but I'm too spiteful for this omg. AND I WILL GET STARTED ON EVA BECAUSE GIRL YOU CALLED APOLLO AND I QUOTE 'You loathsome conceited, cowardly worm of a prince.' for the 1 crime of erasing your memories. NOT ONCE you've called Jacks anything close to this and that brat has a long ass list of crimes against Evangeline alone. Eva was so whipped she couldn't see Jacks's glaringly bright red flags. It's so hypocritical of her. Marisol was onto something I fear. sorry I needed to vent
God I couldn't have agreed more. I just finished reading the series like an hour ago, and I could not stop thinking about how badly apollo was character assassinated 😭😭😭
33:45 I wondered about his blue hair too! And I was like wait we’re just going to gloss over the fact that it’s not blue anymore? I can’t even remember now like did it turn blue at some point in Finale?? Questions questions and more questions 😂
Thank you for the video.
I can finally clean my kitchen. I always wait for your long videos to do chores.
Glad I’m not the only one who felt a little underwhelmed… I still like the series but I think overall this is the product of poor planning. She loved Evangeline and Jacks’s story but didn’t know how to build a plot around it that made sense, so as a result, every book was just pulled out of thin air to prolong the story.
Also, we spent 3 entire books waiting for this inevitable magical mind blowing kiss and we get that puny tree scene?? I know this is YA but…Stephanie, my girl, you could’ve spiced things up just a little for Jacks😅 I mean, it’s Jacks. A lot of us drug ourselves through these books knowing there was no plot for the sole purpose of answers and a major payout of jacks and Evangeline FINALLY being able to kiss, and not only were things left unanswered (WTF ABOUT THE APPLES?!) but I also feel like there wasn’t much payout with Evangeline and Jacks. Idk, maybe I need less of a happy ending and more messy emotional trauma😂 I definitely needed more than a tiny measly kiss. She also made it seem like we’d get another romantic hollow scene….did I miss that? And the single bed trope was there just to tease us. 😵💫
This isn’t even mentioning the random forgotten giant plot holes. (Marisole? The secret assassins guild? Tiberius??)
I would watch this immediately but my book just came in today!!! I can't wait to finish it and hear your thoughts!
Edit: I just finished it and I'm crying. I don't think I'll ever be able to get over this series.
AHHH OMG I CANT WAIT TO WATCH THIS
evajacks left me empty 😭🔫
:''''')
I know a lot of people thought this book was too messy and open ended, but I thought it was perfect. It feels like it really fits this story, the story curse, the Magnificient North, and all the stuff about endings and true endings and multiple endings. (Still waiting for my three exclusive editions for the alternate endings.) I like how a lot of stuff is left for us to interpret. Also, I've heard that the apples were like a distraction from kissing others or something.
Absolutely loved this series!! Stephanie Garber's writing style is so whimsical and imaginative. Really hoping she releases more books set in this world and style.
I definitely think they should’ve introduced certain things like the cuff or tree earlier on, I personally liked all the books pretty equally (didn’t love it as much as I thought I would but I had a lot of fun and it had me pretty invested) but the last book definitely had some way to convenient moments and I never REALLY understood why Apollo was so obsessed with Evangeline
1:01:51 thank you for taking us through your reread. It’s helped refresh some of the story details for me for when I read ACFTL, when my copy comes in. I will probably come back to watch the rest of this video after I’ve read book 3
tiny spoilers ahead!,
acftl felt so rushed to me 😭😭 i love this series for the vibes and the fairytale, whimsical world but that point was lacking in this book, there were just so many plot points. i also believe that stephanie is sticking to the infinite endings and the story curse theme and she intentionally left a few plot holes for us to theorise ourselves but honestly that just frustrates me so much 😭. the ending of finale really tied everything together and i wanted to feel content when reading the ending of acftl but i felt so underwhelmed and confused. i think stephanie was really pressured to write a happy ending for evajacks that every event leading up to that was incomplete and rushed.
and i don’t like how she made chaos a villian of sorts and then left it at that because acftl chaos is just so different from tbona chaos 💔 and no luc appearance 😭😭
I’m not ready to say goodbye to this marvelous series!
The Easter eggs! Blood and apples! Also the drop of blood and the door of the temple opening! And the three things you should never do and she did all of them!
Also I think you’re right about the vampire venom breaking Jacks’ curse. Now that I’ve read ACFTL and we know what 🐺 🌸 did, it kind of makes sense that those curses are gone!
I have been waiting to watch your video until I finished the book myself lol. I had such a gradient of emotions throughout the book. I agree with others that certain things were glossed over while other parts dragged immensely but overall I still loved the story. It took me a little longer to dive in but by about 50% I was finally hooked. Idk if anyone else was frustrated by the recapping of sections when Evangeline lost her memories but once we moved into the real plot I was in it till the end. Loved your reactions and I totally agree with you Cari that this is a “vibes” kind of series, and I loved the vibes ❤❤❤
I was so excited for this last book, i loved ouabh and tbona but this one just was not it for me, im still upset three days later. I REALLY wanted to like it. Maybe ill reread the whole series in the future and see if the my opinion changes but the whole thing felt rushed and a whole lot of things were missing.
Spoilers ahead!!
.
.
Why was there so much Apollo?? Where there really any doubts that evajacks was gonna be endgame? Where was Jacks fighting for Eva? Where was the romance?
The series was whimsicall and beautifully written, and I loved it, but I came across one issue. Evangeline, the protagonist, emerged as a wondrous and endearing character, yet I struggled to develop a deep affection for her. As a central figure, she often came across as fragile and overly reliant on others for her safety. It was challenging not to notice that there was only a single, albeit minor, instance where she managed to escape from a dire situation without assistance. In nearly every other circumstance, a male character came to her rescue, with a significant portion of their interactions involving her being carried by them. While I don't have demanding expectations, and I did enjoy the series, I would have preferred a more self-reliant main character, especially considering the hazardous and action-packed nature of the situations she frequently encountered. I guess the whimsy feel of the series covered for a lot plot holes and also a hepless MC, because I still love it.
CARIIIIIIII THIS SERIES WAS THE DEATH OF ME I AM SO HAPPY WE CAN SHARE THE LOVE HEARTBREAK AND GIGGLES
I started reading OUABH but only got to book 2 before I stopped reading and I dont think i'll finish the series so this video is everything.
I’ve read it yesterday and actually disappointed ☹️ don’t like the first part and feel like don’t have enough of jacks and Evangelines thoughts and feelings and have more mess with storyline and other characters imho
Totally like vibes of the series. Especially 2nd book ❤
Coming back to finally watch this video after finishing ACFTL! (last book of 2023 for me)
I had read OUABH back in 2021 however I didn't enjoy it (even though I LOVED Caraval), most likely because I was going through the biggest and longest book slump in my life. I decided to give this series another try because of you and read all 3 books back to back in December. I just want to say a big THANK YOU to you because I loved this series so much the second time around! The second book killed me, I was on the bus when I finished it and I immediately wished I was not in public, lol. The third book was my least favorite, but I still enjoyed it.
I cannot WAIT for Stephanie's next book in this world!
I love how you couldn't remember the second book's plot, and it became a foreshadowing to the third book's plot 😭
1:07:00 was the perfect moment to put the jace herondale fancam I SCREAMED
I was so afraid to start this series after I saw everyone's reactions to the second book, but after this video, I am so set on reading it.
I could use an angsty whimsical vibes book after spending most of October reading scary things.
Yesss this is me I need my whimsy cute book!!
I felt a bit empty and unfulfilled after it all... I don't know why but some bits just felt a bit rushed. Though saying that I also read for 4 hrs straight- 2 of which was in a bath which was going cold 😂😂😂 so I guess I enjoyed it nonetheless!!
You need to read the alternate epilogues as well! They were included in different editions of the book. One of them sets up a future book as well..
24:58 Stephanie Garber does over explain a lot, you're right ! but it actually didn't bother me that much in the first book because the pace is so fast I just couldn't stop reading to see what happened next. But in the second book it got too much for me, the first pages are SOOO over explanatory and Evangeline's thoughts are so repetitive... I am here because I just want to know how it ends 😅
I genuinely think about 'there is nothing of equal value to me' on a daily basis
I just finished this book last night and I was waiting to finish the book so I could watch this video and hear what you thought about it. I really really love this series, it’s just so magical and romantic. ACFTL did feel rushed though and just wish the story was more focused on Jacks and Evangeline like WHY WAS THERE SO MUCH APOLLO AND AURORA. also that whole last scene just made??? no sense?? like what even were Wolfric’s motives??? But overall I loved this series definitely changed my brain chemistry
cariii, so i watched ur video after reading the book and omg ur reactions literally triggered the same reactions i haddd, like when u scream and get surprised and get butterflies, i do toooo, again, so amazinggg
OMG IM READING THIS RNNNN AND ALL THE CHARACTERS NAMES FROM BOOK ONE I LIKE TOTALLY FORGOT SO THIS IS SO HELPFUL CAUSE IDK WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE LOLLL love you Cari!! ❤
LFG CARI I’ve been waiting for one of my booktubers to serve up the OUABH content with the new book out so I can feel like I have someone to talk to about it ♥️😊
I wasn’t going to read these books before clicking on the video but you’ve convinced me i shall be back my friends
Just finished a curse for true love actually sobbed so hard i had to put the book down my heart was torn into a millions of pieces
Thank you for making this ...😂 I'm literally in love with this triology ...and i know many are waiting for some answers but i think all the story of magnificent north is cursed so we will never get the truth ..somehow the story curse will always twist the truth ❤
cariiiii i was waiting til after this school semester to read this series and the fact that you read it makes me even more excited!
@30:11 Literally hearing you describe some of these plot elements, makes me realise how ridiculous these books actually are LMAO 💀💀 (but i love it sm so what to do)
That’s how I feel explaining the plot to my sister everytime she asks😭
@@queeneliane7745 SO VALID, I start by prefacing, all logic goes out the window, just immediately. We only here for the vibes okay? Okay cool
I really liked it but there were loots of loose ends (all the ‘vampire’ killings and Luc going MIA were simply mentioned) and I fell like there was more potential to Aurora’s scheming and the Valors coming back to life but I fell like she held it back because she’s saving it for another series. Personally I would have edited out the ‘self defense session’ for a different setting that would deliver the same feeling of yearning and contained passion . Would have loved to see more Jacks definitely. But all in all it was a solid 4 stars for me.