vee615's review against another edition
2.0
This was such a weird book, its Romeo and Juliet but with one family who grow bird feathers and another who have fish scales. It has a lot of superstitious Romani, a chemical plant, and a bitter feud. It was such a strange read. I liked the chemistry between Luc and Lace. I liked that Dax was so well written as someone so awful, the author did not shy away from making him terrifying.
This book is likened to The Night Circus and I just do not see it. The Night Circus is beautifully written and atmospheric and felt like it could be real. This book had feathers and scales and whole bunch a weirdly superstitious people. It also had no direct explanation was it magic or not? Overall it was just ok for me, but part of the problem might have been going in expecting something like the Night Circus and getting nothing at all like it.
This book is likened to The Night Circus and I just do not see it. The Night Circus is beautifully written and atmospheric and felt like it could be real. This book had feathers and scales and whole bunch a weirdly superstitious people. It also had no direct explanation was it magic or not? Overall it was just ok for me, but part of the problem might have been going in expecting something like the Night Circus and getting nothing at all like it.
time_travel_tragedy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This book about breaking generational trauma cycles and there are some really powerful moments that really hit home as someone with a difficult family that bears some similarity to some of the things the characters deal with. I feel like if you have a difficult family and hope to break generational cycles, this might be a good book for you BUT see below.
There is a prominent cousin relationship going on though. And they do use the G-slur as a slur. So that is a thing. I understand that it's "realistic" and she's basing it on her own homophobia before she was reformed. And yes, the fact that the main character was being racist was considered not okay by the one she called the slur, and it's definitely not encouraged in the book, but I still feel like she could have gotten her point across without it. The author also knew it was considered a slur. So you can't even say she didn't know.
If you want books about generational trauma and breaking the cycle, I think you can find better books that don't include racial slurs.
There is a prominent cousin relationship going on though. And they do use the G-slur as a slur. So that is a thing. I understand that it's "realistic" and she's basing it on her own homophobia before she was reformed. And yes, the fact that the main character was being racist was considered not okay by the one she called the slur, and it's definitely not encouraged in the book, but I still feel like she could have gotten her point across without it. The author also knew it was considered a slur. So you can't even say she didn't know.
If you want books about generational trauma and breaking the cycle, I think you can find better books that don't include racial slurs.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Physical abuse
savannahprice's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
emmagrace's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-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
2.25
Spoiler
the last ya author I expected to do a pseudo-incest twistthunderbolt_kid's review against another edition
4.0
Started this during the #readathon, and it was the *kind* of book you could stay up all night to finish. Instead I woke up this morning and did exactly that, enjoying it throughout.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
Finished reading: June 14th 2019
“His feathers marked him as a Corbeau the way her escamas marked her as a Paloma. The things they wore on their bodies made them as distinct as water and sky.”
Spoiler
I've been meaning to read The Weight Of Feathers for a while now... I know magical realism can go both ways for me, but there was just something about the blurb that caught my eye straight way. I'm happy I finally got the chance to read it, because I fell in love with both the writing and the story itself. It's such a beautiful and well crafted story! It's magical realism, but not too 'heavy' to distract or complicate you... Instead, you will find yourself mesmerized by the lives of the Corbeau and Paloma families and their performances. There is a hint of the magic, but mostly The Weight Of Feathers is a classic forbidden love story where two characters of rival families fall in love against all odds. The story is told with the help of a dual POV, switching back and forth between Lace Paloma and Cluck Corbeau... This way, we learn more about both families and their performances. I loved the symbolism of the mermaids and the Corbeau act with their feather wings; water and air, opposite but beautiful in their own way. Each chapter started with a phrase in Spanish (Paloma) or French (Corbeau), which was a nice touch although I could spot quite a few errors in both foreign text and translation (a shame, since it would have been easy to check and correct, but that's probably just the philologist in me talking). French and Spanish expressions are also sometimes used in the text itself, giving the story an authentic feel and adding to the atmosphere. Lace and Cluck are both quite easy to like, but while Lace sometimes frustrated me, it was Cluck who I wanted to adopt and save from his life with the Corbeaus. Such a wonderful character! And while the whole forbidden love elements can become a bit cheesy, I did enjoy how it was developed in The Weight Of Feathers. The ending is also beautiful and I loved the symbolism used! It's true the magical realism might not be for everyone, but I suggest giving this story a go anyway as it's absolutely beautiful.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
westief's review against another edition
1.0
I couldn't get past the overuse of smilies and the repetitiveness of how much the two families hated and mistrusted each other. A third of the way into it, the author was still reminding us that the two families were enemies who disliked each other because of incorrect assumptions and everything thing was described as being "like..."; it was just too much, I had to move on.
njmenzel's review against another edition
5.0
Amazingly beautiful writing style, wonderfully descriptive language, and realistically flawed characters. The Weight of Feathers had the perfect amount of magical realism intertwined in the unique, yet believable story. I could read this over and over again.
lindacbugg's review against another edition
3.0
I received an advanced copy of this from the publisher and I was so excited. Then I set it aside and promptly forgot all about it. Last week I figured it was about time I read this before the year ended. It had a great premise and the tag was guaranteed to draw me in--Night Circus meets Romeo & Juliet. Sadly, as much as I wanted to love this I didn't.
There is a great rivalry between the two families in this story but honestly it seems to be built on the shakiest of foundations and our two main characters have no first hand knowledge of exactly what transpired to make the two families hate one another, only rumors and conjecture. The fact that everyone is pissed at everyone else and know one will just come out and say why is super annoying! Also the fact that each family has one person that everyone obeys or else is so clique.
The feathers
Same for the mermaid birthmarks.
The big reveal at the end just seemed a little too obvious
Not that I didn't enjoy reading it--it was well written and I want to read her next book. This one just wasn't the one for me.
There is a great rivalry between the two families in this story but honestly it seems to be built on the shakiest of foundations and our two main characters have no first hand knowledge of exactly what transpired to make the two families hate one another, only rumors and conjecture. The fact that everyone is pissed at everyone else and know one will just come out and say why is super annoying! Also the fact that each family has one person that everyone obeys or else is so clique.
The feathers
Spoiler
the Corbeaus grow seem to serve no purpose--they don't use them in their act, they're not explained in any way in the story, they're just there.Same for the mermaid birthmarks.
The big reveal at the end just seemed a little too obvious
Spoiler
and quite frankly I was pretty pissed Alain let Dax torture Cluck for all those years. Cluck may not have said anything but the scars and bruises and broken fingers were there. Nicole also treated him horribly and without love.Not that I didn't enjoy reading it--it was well written and I want to read her next book. This one just wasn't the one for me.