Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City | BOOK REVIEW
Find the secrets that lurk underneath New York in Kirsten Miller's Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City
I couldn't put down Kirsten Miller's Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City. Knowing what happened next was more important than sleeping at times. (You may think I'm exaggerating, I'm not).
We've all felt like the novel's MC, Annaka Fishbein, at some of our lives. A bit forgotten, overlooked, like you're merging into the wallpaper. Annaka's days were routinely monotonous. Life at an elite all-girls prep school in New York was no cake walk for a scholarship kid. Annaka was just doing her best to pass all her classes so she could stay under the radar and let her time at school quietly end upon graduation, but she (eventually) realised she wasn't really living life to its full potential. She was coasting, and she was sick of it, but was a bit too scared/uncertain to do anything about it.
Enter Kiki Strike. Annaka's boring life was promptly overturned with clandestine meetings, disguises, semi-lethal inventions, lots of secrets, maps, hidden tunnels and exploring a forgotten city beneath (some would argue) one of the greatest and busiest cities in the world.
The historical information dispersed throughout the story really added to the novel's appeal, part fact, part creative retelling - it made learning about New York's history really engaging. It also made me want to add a whole bunch of new places to see to my list of 'Things to do in New York'🗽because clearly I didn't have everything on there.
This was another book that I had trouble trying to find in a bookshop, particularly with this specific cover. I'd almost given up trying to find it until I went to LA (two years ago now) and visited The Last Bookstore. Thankyouthankyouthankyou to my cousin Naomi for taking us there! I could have quite easily spent hours in that store, it was wonderful. I'm still crushed I couldn't buy everything I wanted to because I was worried about luggage/weight requirements.
Between Miller's humor, the epic girl gang that is the Irregulars, the practical tips ranging from how to lose a tail to emergency dental first aid, and all the mysteries associated with Kiki Strike, I wasn't bored.
I've reread this novel a number of times and am still in love with the characters. It's also worth mentioning that the sequel doesn't disappoint either! I've yet to read the third book in the series - discontinued pretty covers are fickle, fickle, elusive creatures. I'll let you know my thoughts once I get my hands on a copy!
What's a book that you couldn't put down recently? I've pretty much making peace with the fact that my TRB will just keep growing, and there's nothing I can do about it! So feel free to share any/all recommendations. Check out my instagram to see what I'm currently reading!
Happy reading!
x
We've all felt like the novel's MC, Annaka Fishbein, at some of our lives. A bit forgotten, overlooked, like you're merging into the wallpaper. Annaka's days were routinely monotonous. Life at an elite all-girls prep school in New York was no cake walk for a scholarship kid. Annaka was just doing her best to pass all her classes so she could stay under the radar and let her time at school quietly end upon graduation, but she (eventually) realised she wasn't really living life to its full potential. She was coasting, and she was sick of it, but was a bit too scared/uncertain to do anything about it.
Enter Kiki Strike. Annaka's boring life was promptly overturned with clandestine meetings, disguises, semi-lethal inventions, lots of secrets, maps, hidden tunnels and exploring a forgotten city beneath (some would argue) one of the greatest and busiest cities in the world.
The historical information dispersed throughout the story really added to the novel's appeal, part fact, part creative retelling - it made learning about New York's history really engaging. It also made me want to add a whole bunch of new places to see to my list of 'Things to do in New York'🗽because clearly I didn't have everything on there.
This was another book that I had trouble trying to find in a bookshop, particularly with this specific cover. I'd almost given up trying to find it until I went to LA (two years ago now) and visited The Last Bookstore. Thankyouthankyouthankyou to my cousin Naomi for taking us there! I could have quite easily spent hours in that store, it was wonderful. I'm still crushed I couldn't buy everything I wanted to because I was worried about luggage/weight requirements.
Between Miller's humor, the epic girl gang that is the Irregulars, the practical tips ranging from how to lose a tail to emergency dental first aid, and all the mysteries associated with Kiki Strike, I wasn't bored.
I've reread this novel a number of times and am still in love with the characters. It's also worth mentioning that the sequel doesn't disappoint either! I've yet to read the third book in the series - discontinued pretty covers are fickle, fickle, elusive creatures. I'll let you know my thoughts once I get my hands on a copy!
What's a book that you couldn't put down recently? I've pretty much making peace with the fact that my TRB will just keep growing, and there's nothing I can do about it! So feel free to share any/all recommendations. Check out my instagram to see what I'm currently reading!
Happy reading!
x
