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malomegh's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War
mazomazli's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was really good! If you like Skyward (by Brandon Sanderson) and Attack on Titan then it’s a great mix of both? The setting is very interesting and I loved all of the characters including the big bad. There’s good diversity here with a mute protagonist, POC, and LGBT characters. I found the portrayal of an abused character as very realistic and respectful as a survivor myself. I appreciate how it showed the complicated feelings and friends’ reactions that come with it, even though it was a side character’s experiences. I totally recommend this and if you like audiobooks the narrator was awesome! She did a great job with all of the voices and accents which really brought it to life. I can’t wait for the next books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, and Medical trauma
nebraskanwriter's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Lu’s story takes us into a dystopian world of Mara, the last country free of the Karensa Federation’s clutches who has slowly taken over the whole island that they live on. Mara is just barely holding on to its freedom, save for the Strikers that our main character, Talin, is a part of. The Strikers are a task force of elite fighters fighting to keep Mara safe from the Ghosts (ghoulish experiments that the Karensa government sicks on their enemies) and from the Karensa Federation. Without the Strikers, Mara would have fallen long ago. When a man from the Karensa military is captured and brought before the Strikers to be put to death, no one could have imagined the events that will unfold and how Talin’s life and all of Mara will be forever changed.
•
This book was so good! I was enraptured by Talin’s story from the very beginning. A girl who is treated like dirt by the country she lives in because she is a refugee yet she still fights to protect it was a beautiful theme to explore and I am sure many people out there have felt that way being a refugee in a new country. Another thing that I loved was that in order to be as stealthy as possible, the Strikers were all taught sign. Talin cannot speak and so she signs the entire novel and I love that Lu brought that representation into this story. Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2020! Also, are these not the most beautiful book covers you have ever seen?
•
I would recommend this story to: those who want more representation and more diverse characters in the books they read, like dystopian novels, enjoy action packed scenes, underdog storylines and books centering around strong friendships.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, and Death of parent