Reviews

I really hate to give this book such a low review but I have to. as a disclaimer, I skipped part one so I definitely missed some stuff. it just felt really boring and I didn’t think the world building was immersive at all.
it’s a very simple racism allegory that’s done well for the target audience. the plot twists were easy to predict, and the majority of the book lacked any stakes outside of Ella’s trouble fitting in
I found the villain interludes to be very ineffective for me. the main villain of the story felt SO disconnected from the plot and wasn’t even in the main story until the final 1/4 of the book. doing interludes of her POV made her far too disconnected from the story.
I did like the fact that the trio is two girls and a boy, I’m sick of every single trio being the opposite.

kaerene's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I really enjoyed The Marvellers! I liked the story and the interesting magic system. Ella (the main character) was super adorable and a tough cookie because they (other characters and the author lol) put her through the ringer. I loved all the author name Easter Eggs throughout the story! I took points off for the ending. It felt really rushed and you’re left with a pretty big cliffhanger.

ellestark's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

3.25

the audiobook didn’t keep me very interested

sara_ndipity's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

gigidiva's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Loved loved loved this so much I am so enamored by this magical world. There is so much that has been set up in this book and I can't wait to see how this series will continue. I'm so happy that black kids get their own fantasy series and books because I know how much this book would have meant to me when I was a kid.

aclopez6's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

I would recommend this title to students who like Amari and the Night Brother or Aru Shah and Tristan Strong. The author, who is also the COO of We Need Diverse Books, makes an intentional and explicit effort to include a diversity of perspectives and representations include racial, familial, and socioeconomic diversity.

Worth noting that there a lot of minor characters introduced within the first 100 pages, and it can be challenging to keep all of their names straight. Some of these characters do fade away and aren't as important after page 200.

Content Warning: racism, xenophobia, peer bullying, magic, mention of child death/infanticide

sharissar's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

More...