As seen on my blog: 
 Main lesson learned after reading this book: Stop completely trusting reviews. I almost didn't read this book due to the abundance of negative reviews for it on Goodreads-but it was calling to me, in ways a book rarely calls to me, and I just couldn't ignore it. OH was it worth following my gut-I LOVED this book. Yes, the synopsis is quite deceiving, but I think it is only so for those who were expecting a horror. I tend to stay away from anything that scares me sleepless, so what I found within these pages was right up my alley. 
 The beginning started a little shaky (the tiny hiccup that stopped me from giving 5 stars). I didn't grasp the closeness Jacob apparently felt to his grandfather. Jacob came off as more annoyed and impatient with him, as opposed to being his number 1 fan, which he admits to being later on in the book. I felt like I needed to have that idea instilled in my head right from the start in order to completely immerse myself in the story-his grandfather was the main reason for his actions. 
 However, aside from that, just thinking of this book makes me dizzy with love. I loved the concept, I loved the characters, and I LOVED the magic and intricacy that was the "loops"-a specific day in time that repeats itself. I loved Ransom Rigg's ability to blend his words into some of the most beautiful passages of descriptive scenery: 
 "A patchwork of sheep speckled fields spread across hills that rose away to meet a high ridge, where a wall of clouds stood like a cotton parapet. It was dramatic and beautiful, unlike any place I'd seen. I felt a little thrill of adventure as we chugged into the bay, as if I were sighting land where maps had noted only a sweep of undistinguished blue." 
 I even liked the villains, the 'wights' and 'hollowgasts.' I thought they were just scary and intimidating enough. Some reviews pointed out that they should have been more prominent throughout the middle part of the book, but I thought the lack of them there caused enough tension and anticipation to drive the story forward. I was on the edge of my seat, afraid they would pop up out of nowhere unexpectedly. 
 I thought the end was just enough of a cliffhanger for me, kind of Pirates of the Caribbean-esque. According to Goodreads, this was only book 1-I can hardly WAIT to see what book 2 has in store.