Hmm...why am I so utterly terrible at writing decent reviews for the books I love so much it hurts? 
 The writing in Shadow and Bone was completely captivating. From the very first page, I was sucked in. This was a very strange experiance for me, because I usually have to take some time to get invested in the characters/story/plotline before I feel the need to finish it. I can't even remember the last time I was so instantly mesmerized by a story like I was by this one. 
 Sometimes in high fantasy novels, it's difficult to get used to the world it's set in and understand what the heck is going on half the time. Especially if it has mutiple places, rules, etc. Good examples of this for me are Graceling by Kristen Cashore and Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. Both are amazing novels, but I struggled for a bit getting used to their settings. However, in the world of the Grisha, I felt Leigh Bardugo did an excellent job telling the story and explaining how everything worked, and I was very comfortable very quickly. 
 Speaking of the Grisha world, it was amazing! If there's one thing in a book I adore (beside the romance, of course), it's good world-buiding. And this world was so magical and complex and just fantastic ('m running out of adjectives to describe the greatness lol). I didn't feel like anything was cliched or done before, or whatever. It all felt very new new and original to me. I also really love the map at the beginning of the novel, and the design of the book in general. So pretty. 
 I appreciated how Alina grew as a character throughout her story, steadily gaining more confidence with herself and her abilities. I loved how she recognized her mistakes and tried to fix them, rather than continuously make bad decisions like a few YA heroines I could mention (but won't). I was rooting for her the whole time. 
 The romance! Hmm. Well, there really isn't much I can give away here. Just saying who it is with is kind of spoilerish. I can't say I'm 100% percent happy with how it turned out, but who knows what will happen in the sequels. 
 Another character I must take a second the mention is the Darkling. He was just so, so . . . alluring and powerful, mysterious and dark. My heart sped up a little every time he was in a scene. He was quite the question mark for a while until towards the end of the book - okay, he still is, but I learned some more about him at least. And when I did . . . I was not a happy clam. Just saying. 
 And Mal. He was the awesome best friend who would do anything for Alina. What's not to love about him? Grated, he wasn't actually around for a good chunk of Shadow and Bone, but the parts he was in made my heart melt. 
 Shadow and Bone is a must read for 2012 for high fantasy lovers, or people who just love aweseomeness in general. I need the next book, like, yesterday. But, no, I have to wait another year. *sigh*