milkshakevoid's review against another edition
2.0
I received the eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review:
I really wanted to like this and for the first 70 pages or so I did. Alex is a Bruja in a family full of witches and while I applaud the author on her use and explanations of Latino culture/religion, this story never really gets off the ground. Tropes abound. The chosen one ripe with power and the need to get rid of it. The dark handsome boy who isn't what he seems. eh.
Alex is not a character I enjoyed reading about or spending much time with. There were a few points (with the fae in the meadow most notably) where she didn't bore or annoy me but I still had to force myself to finish this book. She is the most indecisive character I've encountered in a long while. Selfish, foolhardy, immature, she just never had the presence to carry me through this book.
The bisexual love triangle (if you could call it that) was seriously lacking in development. So much so that I didn't even realize it was going on until Rishi came in for a kiss. I would love to see more of this romantic arc in other books but in Labyrinth Lost it seemed like an afterthought and a poorly executed one at that.
Not a single character seemed to be full fleshed out beyond a line or two of throw away details which led the reader to infer development from the stereotypes presented. Nova was so mysterious and tortured that his big reveal invoked major eye rolling from me. In fact, all of the big reveals (Rishi -romance, Nova -traitor, Father -returns, etc.) felt cheap and poorly executed.
I received an arc of the book so maybe this was changed in print, but many places suffered from repetitive expressions on the narrator's part, where Alex would say the same indecisive things over and over again. I also found that the world building wasn't thorough. It had moments where it shined but those bits only served to draw attention to the poor structure elsewhere. I feel like this novel suffered from a lack of character development, poor pacing, and an uninspired plot. The two things it had going for it were the great premise and the beautiful cover, but overall this was a let down.
I really wanted to like this and for the first 70 pages or so I did. Alex is a Bruja in a family full of witches and while I applaud the author on her use and explanations of Latino culture/religion, this story never really gets off the ground. Tropes abound. The chosen one ripe with power and the need to get rid of it. The dark handsome boy who isn't what he seems. eh.
Alex is not a character I enjoyed reading about or spending much time with. There were a few points (with the fae in the meadow most notably) where she didn't bore or annoy me but I still had to force myself to finish this book. She is the most indecisive character I've encountered in a long while. Selfish, foolhardy, immature, she just never had the presence to carry me through this book.
The bisexual love triangle (if you could call it that) was seriously lacking in development. So much so that I didn't even realize it was going on until Rishi came in for a kiss. I would love to see more of this romantic arc in other books but in Labyrinth Lost it seemed like an afterthought and a poorly executed one at that.
Not a single character seemed to be full fleshed out beyond a line or two of throw away details which led the reader to infer development from the stereotypes presented. Nova was so mysterious and tortured that his big reveal invoked major eye rolling from me. In fact, all of the big reveals (Rishi -romance, Nova -traitor, Father -returns, etc.) felt cheap and poorly executed.
I received an arc of the book so maybe this was changed in print, but many places suffered from repetitive expressions on the narrator's part, where Alex would say the same indecisive things over and over again. I also found that the world building wasn't thorough. It had moments where it shined but those bits only served to draw attention to the poor structure elsewhere. I feel like this novel suffered from a lack of character development, poor pacing, and an uninspired plot. The two things it had going for it were the great premise and the beautiful cover, but overall this was a let down.
heidipolkissa82's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
ackopec's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
2.5
It started strong but petered out quickly. I felt like there were holes in the plot and the prose.
crystal_reading's review against another edition
ARC via Netgalley. Reviewed at Rich in Color: http://richincolor.com/2016/08/review-labyrinth-lost-brooklyn-brujas-1/
xvaleriiia's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
geldauran's review against another edition
3.0
This book is hella Bi, which was a pleasant surprise. 👍
maxt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
2.75
blakehalsey's review against another edition
5.0
Damn this was good. Perfectly paced, rich prose, magic coming off every page. Twists and romance and queer girls and yes yes this is a boon for you.
jessicacho's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
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
4.0