Thursday, October 28, 2021

Phantom Heart by Kelly Creagh review

 Title:  Phantom Heart

Author:  Kelly Creagh

Ch: 85 Plus Epilogue

Pg:  528

Series: Phantom Heart

Genre:  Teen Paranormal romance retelling

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: Viking books

 

I've been putting off writing this review not because I didn't love the book, but because I was still processing my emotions after reading this one and gathering my thoughts. As well as trying to find the balance as a reader/reviewer while being friends with the author. (And on a platform like goodreads other readers would say I'm bias but if I don't like a book, I'm going to say that, while being polite).  But my rating of the book has everything to do with how the book was written being true to the original story while creating a unique modern tale. 

 

Creagh pays homage to the original by keeping the name Erik for the phantom character as well as using the last names Armand and Cheney for the main characters.  Like her previous books the setting for this book is Louisville. As a Louisvillian I loved finding the Easter eggs of local things in the book.   While this isn't the first Phantom of the Opera retelling, I've read, it is the first one I've read that I could tell early in the book that was indeed inspired by the Phantom of the Opera.  Creagh knows how to write paranormal and retellings that's for sure. 

 

I've seen other reviews comparing it to Twilight. To me the only thing relating it to Twilight is that it's teen paranormal romance with a slight love triangle. But guess what that's where the similarities end.  Phantom Heart having a love triangle doesn't make it Twilight like it just makes it true to the original story as they was indeed a love triangle in the book and the musical. Having loved the original and been team Phantom I was shocked that with Phantom Heart I was rooting not for Erik but for Lucas. I guess I'm still a sucker for a nerdy hero.  

Another thing that I enjoyed is Creagh always manages to add nerdy pop culture references into her book and this one made my marvel nerd heart happy.  While one storyline wrapped up nicely by the end with only a slight cliffhanger the main storyline is left to continue in book 2(hopefully)?  In which I am indeed looking forward to. 

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