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booksthatburn's review
adventurous
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? Yes
4.0
PAGE continues with Kel's second year as a page, now that her probation is over. It covers three years, concluding with public tests for pages ready to become squires. It continues Kel's resistance to Joren's bullying, bringing younger pages into her and her friends' protection as they try to stop the hazing. In addition to new and old friends among Kel's peers, she gains a maid and a dog. Lalasa has been subject to unspecified harassment and physical assault, and her uncle, Gower, hopes that being Kel's maid will offer Lalasa some protection. There's a mostly new storyline related to Kel's efforts to teach Lalasa self defense and help her have a life outside her duties. It intersects with the continued harassment of Kel and her fear of heights in a very dramatic finale which I hesitate to spoil. It doesn't really try to wrap up many plot threads, other than specific incidents (which resolve soon after they begin) and the finale. It's building up to challenges she'll presumably face as a squire, meaning that most things are assumed to continue later in some form (or are so minor as to not require a resolution at this time).
Kel's voice is consistent with the first book. She sounded a bit older than ten there and now she actually is, so it's a benefit to this story even if it didn't quite fit the first one. The story could mostly make sense to someone who hasn't read FIRST TEST, since the harassment and bullying begun there continue here in a form which is easy to understand even if its origins were shown elsewhere. Happily, the friends she made before continue here as well, with the welcome addition of Owen to their group. It also focuses on Kel's perception of her training and the differences in her body as becomes a teenager. This gets the room to be a fuller story and slightly less of an anti-bullying PSA, while still having enough of that for continuity. The slight reduction there is made up for in discussions of sexual harassment and self-protection, as Kel teaches Lalasa to defend herself from unwanted advances. It's a bit coy about exactly what Lalasa fears, and my one worry would be that it's only helpful to a reader who doesn't need things explained in the first place.
Overall it feels like this book is doing more work for the quartet as a whole than it is for itself as a volume within it. The plot that's mostly unique to this volume has to do with Lalasa, but even that story is of Kel trying to prepare her to defend herself and then it not being enough without Kel's help. Having read later books before, I know that even this incident is part of a broader conflict spanning most of the series, which means that the main conflict is a continuation of things begun earlier and finished elsewhere. That's fine for the second book in a quartet, it's common for book two of a series to have this feeling, I just wish this book had more that was its own.
Kel's voice is consistent with the first book. She sounded a bit older than ten there and now she actually is, so it's a benefit to this story even if it didn't quite fit the first one. The story could mostly make sense to someone who hasn't read FIRST TEST, since the harassment and bullying begun there continue here in a form which is easy to understand even if its origins were shown elsewhere. Happily, the friends she made before continue here as well, with the welcome addition of Owen to their group. It also focuses on Kel's perception of her training and the differences in her body as becomes a teenager. This gets the room to be a fuller story and slightly less of an anti-bullying PSA, while still having enough of that for continuity. The slight reduction there is made up for in discussions of sexual harassment and self-protection, as Kel teaches Lalasa to defend herself from unwanted advances. It's a bit coy about exactly what Lalasa fears, and my one worry would be that it's only helpful to a reader who doesn't need things explained in the first place.
Overall it feels like this book is doing more work for the quartet as a whole than it is for itself as a volume within it. The plot that's mostly unique to this volume has to do with Lalasa, but even that story is of Kel trying to prepare her to defend herself and then it not being enough without Kel's help. Having read later books before, I know that even this incident is part of a broader conflict spanning most of the series, which means that the main conflict is a continuation of things begun earlier and finished elsewhere. That's fine for the second book in a quartet, it's common for book two of a series to have this feeling, I just wish this book had more that was its own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Confinement, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Death, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Bullying
Minor: Ableism, Excrement, War, Child death, Vomit, Suicide, Homophobia, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Torture
rini's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Vomit
Minor: Child abuse
house_of_hannah's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I definitely see how formulaic the story is so far, but I did end up enjoying this better than the first book. The pace of this one is faster as we go through three years instead of just one. At the end Kel is just about to turn 14.
Kel has changed a lot physically throughout the book, but mentally she seems just about the same. Since hitting puberty she is noticing her feelings towards men more, and how they act around her. I imagine as she gets older it will be a subject that is brought up more.
I am quite surprised at how many friends, both animal and human, she has. I honestly thought she would have more of a struggle with fitting in, but she's actually popular and well loved. I am glad the author gave her a flaw that comes up often, fear of heights, because otherwise she would be perfect.
Kel has changed a lot physically throughout the book, but mentally she seems just about the same. Since hitting puberty she is noticing her feelings towards men more, and how they act around her. I imagine as she gets older it will be a subject that is brought up more.
I am quite surprised at how many friends, both animal and human, she has. I honestly thought she would have more of a struggle with fitting in, but she's actually popular and well loved. I am glad the author gave her a flaw that comes up often, fear of heights, because otherwise she would be perfect.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Bullying, and Confinement
victorianrogue's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, Confinement, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Medical content, and Violence
Minor: Animal death and Vomit
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