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bikingturtle's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
blowp0p's review against another edition
4.0
Content warnings: mentions of death, violence, torture, bisexual romance, mentions of sex, lack of bodily autonomy
Review can be found here at Blow Pop's Book Reviews
Review can be found here at Blow Pop's Book Reviews
katies_bookshelf's review
adventurous
- 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
3.0
booksarebetter's review against another edition
5.0
Fast and Unusual
Nolan and Amara are locked together with no end in sight. Nolan, desperate to have some control over anything, and Amara who guards Cilla a princess. The story around the three is filled with tension, adventure, and an endless quest to set things right. Five stars!
Nolan and Amara are locked together with no end in sight. Nolan, desperate to have some control over anything, and Amara who guards Cilla a princess. The story around the three is filled with tension, adventure, and an endless quest to set things right. Five stars!
marjoleinve's review against another edition
3.0
I'd go for 3,5 stars if possible. Really liked the book, which I finally decided to read after it's been on my to-read shelf for too long. There are so many things I found to be new and refreshing, maybe even daring. The concept of someone on Earth being linked to someone in a 'fantasy' world is just brilliant and maybe even recognizable for readers, cause who hasn't stayed up way too late because you couldn't let go of a book you are reading, being pulled in and really 'needing' to know what happens next to the characters? Or maybe even skipped school for it? And how often was it hard/difficult to let go of a certain book when you've finished it, leaving you wondering what certain characters might be doing next?
What the book lacked, imho, are descriptions. Maybe not Tolkien-like 3 page long descriptions of what the 3rd leaf on the second branch of one of the outer trees of a certain forest looked like but sometimes a bit more in-depth information about the surroundings can help making a world feel more 'alive' :-) Yes, I could also use my imagination for that but it's what I missed in this book.
Most shocking discovery after and during reading: I don't think I've ever realized how many of the books I usually read contain male or female white, straight, able-bodied AND neurotypical protagonists. Auch. Sometimes you find yourself stuck in a reading pattern.
What the book lacked, imho, are descriptions. Maybe not Tolkien-like 3 page long descriptions of what the 3rd leaf on the second branch of one of the outer trees of a certain forest looked like but sometimes a bit more in-depth information about the surroundings can help making a world feel more 'alive' :-) Yes, I could also use my imagination for that but it's what I missed in this book.
Most shocking discovery after and during reading: I don't think I've ever realized how many of the books I usually read contain male or female white, straight, able-bodied AND neurotypical protagonists. Auch. Sometimes you find yourself stuck in a reading pattern.
mogojojo1013's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The ending just was entirely unsatisfying. When I set down a book that isn't getting a sequel I expect to feel satisfied. All of the ends tied and questions answered. But all of the bad guys just get to keep living their lives normally on earth after torturing a little girl for 10 years. Sure, their plans were thwarted but what is to stop them from tracking down Nolan and getting revenge on Earth? It's frustrating. I LOVE the diversity. I love the sign language rep. But the plot and ending are not good
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Physical abuse, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol
rjdenney's review against another edition
2.0
129 pages in and I just can't do it anymore. It's really laggy and nothing really seems to be picking up for me. I really wanted to enjoy this one but alas NOPE. :(
theseventhl's review against another edition
4.0
From March:
Irony, kind of: I go out of my way to read the UIUC YA bookclub pick for last month – OTHERBOUND by Corinne Duyvis – going so far as to say on Facebook I’m going, only to find myself stuck in my room during meeting time because I stupidly made a dental appointment the same day several hours before bookclub and have you ever spoke coherently and thoughtfully about anything after both a root canal and a tooth extraction? I didn’t think so. Thus, I was left to wallow in my OTHERBOUND thoughts, underheard, until now.
My full thoughts, now at my blog
Irony, kind of: I go out of my way to read the UIUC YA bookclub pick for last month – OTHERBOUND by Corinne Duyvis – going so far as to say on Facebook I’m going, only to find myself stuck in my room during meeting time because I stupidly made a dental appointment the same day several hours before bookclub and have you ever spoke coherently and thoughtfully about anything after both a root canal and a tooth extraction? I didn’t think so. Thus, I was left to wallow in my OTHERBOUND thoughts, underheard, until now.
My full thoughts, now at my blog
zluke's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
babbieabbi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
Whew. This book very much beat my expectations. I really liked the writing, and I LOVED most of the characters, Nolan and Amara especially. I felt like there were a few things that made me a little uncomfortable, and I also really didn’t like Cilla until the end of the book. But the story telling and the premise were phenomenal
I really dislike the relationship between Amara and Cilla because of the power imbalance, and the thoughtlessness and cruelty of Cilla. “Well, you won’t die so I don’t mind forcing you to be tortured in my stead, nothing I could possibly do to try to fix that”