eatingbrains's review
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Oof.
While I agree that the premise is reminiscent of the movie Spirited Away and Uprooted by Naomi Novik (two things I enjoyed thoroughly), it was very much written for a YA audience. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think the main difference between YA classics and contemporary YA is that the classics are written to be understood by younger audiences but will still have a broader appeal.
At the end of the day, this one missed that mark for me. It was very much full of emo, cringey moments, insta-lovey when I could have sworn they were initially portrayed as enemies. The pacing was bizarre and very jarring (which could be attributed to a dream-like quality, if I was being generous). Situations were convenient when needed to be, and I often had to suspend my disbelief to continue reading. Lastly, the characters were lacking development and the repetition got old (referring to all of the grandmother's grandmother bits, and so many sentences starting with "But").
While I agree that the premise is reminiscent of the movie Spirited Away and Uprooted by Naomi Novik (two things I enjoyed thoroughly), it was very much written for a YA audience. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think the main difference between YA classics and contemporary YA is that the classics are written to be understood by younger audiences but will still have a broader appeal.
At the end of the day, this one missed that mark for me. It was very much full of emo, cringey moments, insta-lovey when I could have sworn they were initially portrayed as enemies. The pacing was bizarre and very jarring (which could be attributed to a dream-like quality, if I was being generous). Situations were convenient when needed to be, and I often had to suspend my disbelief to continue reading. Lastly, the characters were lacking development and the repetition got old (referring to all of the grandmother's grandmother bits, and so many sentences starting with "But").
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Miscarriage , Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Grief, Injury/injury detail, and Medical content
shushkeepitdown's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
The eye catching cover was what made me want to read it. I do want a physical copy by sadly can't get one for now. With the beautiful cover it comes with a beautiful story. The characters are unique, dealing with their own struggles. Mina is definitely a protagonist who I love dearly. Her motives were done for the people she loved to the point she was willing to risk her life. None of the characters were boring however the story itself was a bit confusing since the sudden change in scenery is done so quickly. They go from one point to another so fast you sometimes might forget where they had gone. The ending was a bit predictable but there was a point in the story I thought maybe this story wouldn't have a happy ending. I'm glad it ended happily. Not too difficult to read and the story is also nice. I think what gives it a bit of a lower rating for me is the love between the two characters just feel a bit bland? It wasn't as interesting as I had hoped but the rest of the story makes up for it.
Spoiler
when Mina had to choose between the sea god and Shin, whether she actually became the sea god's bride
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Genocide, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent, Child death, and War
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