renaaria's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
jennjohnson's review
5.0
It's not what I typically read — I'm a hardened cynical reader, and I usually pick things that have a fairly sharp and dark edge to them. This book has an inherent optimism to it (and don't get me wrong, there is darkness and trauma here! Esp with Carina's plotline, but definitely not limited to her) and it has a lot of romance as well. That could have turned me away from it. But it swallowed me up whole. I did NOT want to put it down, not ever, and now that I've reached the end, I'm at a bit of a loss about what to do with myself.
I loved being in this world. I loved the characters and their interactions and their limitations and fears. Lex is ridiculous and romantic and awkward, and more than a little bit of a fool, but I was on his side immediately.
And, though I can't believe I'm saying this, I loved the romance. The way it developed was absolutely believable and, though I tried in my world-weary pessimistic way to not be swayed by it, I was. It was a slow burn that completely worked for me.
And the religion—! I adored the religion! I am fascinated by the Gods, the priests, the Powers, and I want to know more about all of it.
This book deserves a sequel, and I'm so happy there is more to come. I'm excited to spend more time in this world!
I loved being in this world. I loved the characters and their interactions and their limitations and fears. Lex is ridiculous and romantic and awkward, and more than a little bit of a fool, but I was on his side immediately.
And, though I can't believe I'm saying this, I loved the romance. The way it developed was absolutely believable and, though I tried in my world-weary pessimistic way to not be swayed by it, I was. It was a slow burn that completely worked for me.
And the religion—! I adored the religion! I am fascinated by the Gods, the priests, the Powers, and I want to know more about all of it.
This book deserves a sequel, and I'm so happy there is more to come. I'm excited to spend more time in this world!
stemtheatre's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
4.25
karenreader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.25
Gender bend Robin Hood retelling in a fantasy land. Really well done. Main characters are 17 and 19; would’ve been better if they could’ve been a few years older, but ver good.
tdb832's review
5.0
An interesting twist on the Robin Hood concept, Target is an engaging story that reads very quickly once the story gets going. The book's side characters add a good bit of levity to a story that can need it at times (particularly at some of its darker points). The main plot centering around Lex clearly drives the book forward, though I did find myself wanting to know more about some of the secondary characters -- in particular Jianna, Nick, and Oliver -- as the book progressed. I'm very curious to see where the series goes from here.
modernwaterrider's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.25
samthebookdevotee's review
3.0
Not going to lie. I had different expectations or different ideas on how this book would play out before reading it based on the description. So it took me a second to get rerouted lol. Once I found the groove of this book I found it pretty enjoyable. There were times that dragged on a bit but overall the story wasn't bad.
While I expected Lex to have his point of view be a main part of the story, I was really disappointed that Robyn's wasn't. With this being a Robin Hood retelling it seemed like a missed opportunity. Robin Hood is one of my favorite stores that I like to see retold so this was a bit different to be. Not that Lex was a bad character or anything. He was pretty likable albeit a bit awkward at times. I thought the romance between him and Robyn was awkward for the most part in general. It didn't flow very well or felt natural.
One thing I also wish was this book wasn't a young adult novel. While I absolutely love the young adult genre, I think this book would have been better if Lex and Robyn were older. Robyn is the leader of an outlaw group, but they are all older than her. I mean I guess it is possible for her to garner respect still but just felt a bit unrealistic even if this is a fantasy novel. Personally, this should have been like New Adult as I think the story would have benefitted from it.
Carina was hands down my favorite character. At first, I was like, "why should I care about her point of view?" I liked seeing her grow throughout the book and making her own decisions despite the tough situation she was in. At some points I even found myself skimming Lex's chapters just so I could get to Carina faster.
The plot itself isn't bad. I do like that royalty is involved instead of the typical Robin Hood vs Sheriff of Nottingham. It was definitely a different take that I enjoyed. Some things were a bit predictable but there were enough surprises that it was still enjoyable.
Overall, If you're looking for a different Robin Hood retelling you will definitely enjoy this but if you're looking for Robyn to be at the forefront, then try not to be too disappointed like I was. I haven't decided if I'll read the next book. I originally wasn't until I fell in love with Carina. I may just read it solely because of her.
While I expected Lex to have his point of view be a main part of the story, I was really disappointed that Robyn's wasn't. With this being a Robin Hood retelling it seemed like a missed opportunity. Robin Hood is one of my favorite stores that I like to see retold so this was a bit different to be. Not that Lex was a bad character or anything. He was pretty likable albeit a bit awkward at times. I thought the romance between him and Robyn was awkward for the most part in general. It didn't flow very well or felt natural.
One thing I also wish was this book wasn't a young adult novel. While I absolutely love the young adult genre, I think this book would have been better if Lex and Robyn were older. Robyn is the leader of an outlaw group, but they are all older than her. I mean I guess it is possible for her to garner respect still but just felt a bit unrealistic even if this is a fantasy novel. Personally, this should have been like New Adult as I think the story would have benefitted from it.
Carina was hands down my favorite character. At first, I was like, "why should I care about her point of view?" I liked seeing her grow throughout the book and making her own decisions despite the tough situation she was in. At some points I even found myself skimming Lex's chapters just so I could get to Carina faster.
The plot itself isn't bad. I do like that royalty is involved instead of the typical Robin Hood vs Sheriff of Nottingham. It was definitely a different take that I enjoyed. Some things were a bit predictable but there were enough surprises that it was still enjoyable.
Overall, If you're looking for a different Robin Hood retelling you will definitely enjoy this but if you're looking for Robyn to be at the forefront, then try not to be too disappointed like I was. I haven't decided if I'll read the next book. I originally wasn't until I fell in love with Carina. I may just read it solely because of her.
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