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rinku's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, War, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
Minor: Animal death, Kidnapping, and Cultural appropriation
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
3.5
“But conquering people is easy. You break past their defenses, seize their cities, burn their world to the ground. To annihilate us, though, is impossible. A seed will survive. I am not done. I will not forget.”
➽ Skyhunter is an interesting dystopian (somewhat post-apocalyptic) story! It follows Talin, a Striker who defeats the vicious Ghosts - humans that have been experimented on and transformed into monsters. She serves Mara, the last free nation that stands against the ever-expanding Karensa Federation which creates the Ghosts and conquers every other nation one by one. I really liked the premise, as it was intriguing and had many great themes such as colonization and the treatment of refugees. Talin is a refugee herself who fled the Federation's conquest with her mother. Ever since she's mute, but the Striker force communicates in sign language as the Ghosts they hunt hear the slightest sounds. I liked how sign language was incorporated into this book and utilized within the Strikers!
➽ It was easy to empathise with Talin, who risks her life for Mara while many people discriminate against refugees. Without the help of her partner - her Shield - she wouldn't have even been allowed to become a Striker. Even though she's confronted with daily microaggressions and suspicion from her own people, Talin still takes pride in her crucial work of keeping Mara safe. I liked her determination and bravery, as she's not giving up, no matter how harshly others try to put her down. The story touches upon the lingering trauma of her escape into Mara and the treatment of most refugees as second-class citizens who are forced to live in the outer region of the country. When Talin saves a captured soldier from the Federation, it seems like he might hold the key to staving off the looming invasion!
➽ In the end, the book missed a certain spark that I've come to expect from Marie Lu's books. Skyhunter had a lot of potential and I enjoyed the disability representation and discussions about refugees and war. However, I needed more from the story, as the world of Mara and the Federation still didn't feel fleshed out. Unfortunately, there were no interesting twists and turns, no shocking revelations that Marie Lu has pulled off in her other books. Skyhunter was a bit too straightforward for me and I wish the story had dug deeper into the people from before, why they were wiped out and how exactly the Federation rose to so much power. I also didn't feel invested in any of the characters apart from Talin. Her Striker friends faded into the background for me and Red, the Federation soldier was ultimately a forgettable character. I actually had high hopes for Red, but I feel like he lacked depth and I didn't connect to him. Maybe a dual POV would have helped with that. I don't think I'll read the sequel as I can already tell the direction it'll go, and I'm not invested enough into the story to continue!
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Murder, and War
Minor: Ableism, Torture, and Xenophobia
beingsimba's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Xenophobia
asahome's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Police brutality, and Classism
janiceinwonderland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
me when i finished the first chapter: 👁️👄👁️
as someone that finished attack on titan, i couldn’t help but draw the similarities between the world in skyhunter and that. won’t lie— after seeing how much of the aot plot was revealed by the time marie lu could’ve started writing, there are a lot of parallels, but i couldn’t feel them by the time i was well into the book.
another weird bit of context for my read (i’m treating this more as a journal entry now lol), i picked this up to fill the hole in my heart that was left by xiran jay zhao’s iron widow…and i hate to say that this was a far more enjoyable read (still love the book though.) marie lu writes some captivating action sequences and gives us a lot more time to enjoy and get to know our characters in this book.
i’m likely going to immediately pick up steelstriker because im hooked
Moderate: Violence and War
Minor: Xenophobia
daretodream03's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Xenophobia, and Vomit
mschmitz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
It was also very refreshing to finally read a book about warriors where there is no sexism. Like not once. It's not even mentioned passively. Loved that.
It's not a romantic story, and I am not sure if it will go in that direction in the next book, but I kind of have a feeling it won't. So if you are looking for some romance, then this book probably won't satisfy you. I do however recommend it if you are looking for a somewhat unique dystopian fantasy. The world building is clear and done well, and the characters are nicely written. I became quite invested in their feelings, their traumas, their relationships, and their growth. I look forward to reading the second book.
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Ableism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
sarahdh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Death, Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Minor: Torture and Death of parent
mazomazli's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, and Medical trauma
bookphile's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The cast of characters is interesting and diverse, and you get to fall in love with every single one of them as the story progresses. I can honestly say that I loved every single one of them.
There's a lot of discussion about war, the affects of war on the people, the treatment of refugees - even when they are ready to lay down their life for a country that continually rejects them. The price of peace and the cost of conquest and bloodshed.
It is a dark book, but it's not without glimpses of true heroism, even in the bleakest moments. I highly recommend it and I honestly think it's one of Lu's best.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, and Murder