mabry's review
adventurous
informative
tense
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
4.0
tulipflowcrs's review
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
vanquishingvolumes's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A pretty standard faire YA novel, told in an alternate history of our world where America turns to monarchy instead of democracy. I wasn’t super sucked into the story nor attached to the characters, but I enjoyed myself nonetheless as we follow an abused young woman forced into captivity and secret missions in an attempt to have control over her own destiny.
I don’t think I’ll read on in the series, but for a younger reader this would probably be a very enjoyable series.
I don’t think I’ll read on in the series, but for a younger reader this would probably be a very enjoyable series.
bheadley's review
4.0
interesting alternative reality. First American Kingdom, 1893, technological advancements, the world's fair. Lots to unearth here. Characters are good, challenges are real, good story.
ks27's review
DNF
While I found the main character kind of interesting everyone else bored me. The plot seemed to have a lot (too much really) going on for my taste. I think there are people who are going to love it and I’m excited for them, but I just couldn’t get into it and one character wasn’t enough to hold my interest. I hope other people enjoy, because the author is a fantastic writer in general, but I couldn’t do it.
While I found the main character kind of interesting everyone else bored me. The plot seemed to have a lot (too much really) going on for my taste. I think there are people who are going to love it and I’m excited for them, but I just couldn’t get into it and one character wasn’t enough to hold my interest. I hope other people enjoy, because the author is a fantastic writer in general, but I couldn’t do it.
tiffani_reads's review
3.0
What did I think about this book... honestly, the whole time I was reading it and something was suppose to be be original or ground breaking, all I could think was meh. In this version of the USA, instead of becoming president, George Washington fancies himself as a king. He divides up the country between his friends or whoever is rich enough to buy the land. They all become governors, blah blah blah, the cycle of men in power continues.
Flash forward to 1893, women have no rights (not surprised) and our main character Claire has a miserable life. Her father is bat shit crazy, no really this man is straight up cuckoo for cocoa puffs. He believes that unless Claire blesses him and his work, it will be a failure. Which is how she ends up at the world's fair, again surprise surprise, at the moment when it counts she says no, her fathers life's work fails but then she bumps into it and her magical powers make it work. So the governor kidnaps her, and spirits her away to his mansion (don't call it a palace he doesn't like that).
On thing leads to another, he gets shot, they fall in love, the girl afraid of being entrapped by men entraps the governor into a marriage while he is unconscious, and Nikola Tesla saves the day. I'm not even joking, this book has huge feminist undertones but not in a good way. It's weird, and sciencey, and it was meh. Book review over!
Flash forward to 1893, women have no rights (not surprised) and our main character Claire has a miserable life. Her father is bat shit crazy, no really this man is straight up cuckoo for cocoa puffs. He believes that unless Claire blesses him and his work, it will be a failure. Which is how she ends up at the world's fair, again surprise surprise, at the moment when it counts she says no, her fathers life's work fails but then she bumps into it and her magical powers make it work. So the governor kidnaps her, and spirits her away to his mansion (don't call it a palace he doesn't like that).
On thing leads to another, he gets shot, they fall in love, the girl afraid of being entrapped by men entraps the governor into a marriage while he is unconscious, and Nikola Tesla saves the day. I'm not even joking, this book has huge feminist undertones but not in a good way. It's weird, and sciencey, and it was meh. Book review over!
esseastri's review
4.0
Muse is set in a delicious alternate history Chicago that feels somehow wildly different and just the same. Claire is a fascinating character, a girl who wants and who takes despite all the abuse she has suffered that has told her that she doesn't deserve. She learns to be strong over the course of this book, and I loved watching that happen.
mrsamandalamb's review
4.0
MUSE by Brittany Cavallaro tells the story of an alternate American in which George Washington forms a monarchy rather than a democracy. Claire, a 17 year-old daughter of an inventor, may or may not have the power to grant men’s wishes. Her father was asked to create an impressive explosive to showcase at the Chicago Fair in 1893, and it only seems to finally work when she touches it.
Following this event, she’s basically kidnapped and kept at the governor’s mansion. He keeps her as his muse. All the while, there’s a secret plot to overthrow him that Claire is asked to help with, but when she finds herself developing feelings for the young governor, she’s not sure she wants to help anymore. The ending concludes with a bang that will propel this book’s sequel.
This story is a lot of political drama which was at times difficult for me to follow and uninteresting to me. However, the characters are interesting and I think the next book will have more action since the scene has been established.
Following this event, she’s basically kidnapped and kept at the governor’s mansion. He keeps her as his muse. All the while, there’s a secret plot to overthrow him that Claire is asked to help with, but when she finds herself developing feelings for the young governor, she’s not sure she wants to help anymore. The ending concludes with a bang that will propel this book’s sequel.
This story is a lot of political drama which was at times difficult for me to follow and uninteresting to me. However, the characters are interesting and I think the next book will have more action since the scene has been established.
rhappe13's review
3.0
*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This book was not as good as I was hoping it would be. I just didn't understand what was going on in most of the scenes.
I liked the concept of this retelling of US history but feel like I didn't really understand it. I definitely had the feeling of being thrown into the middle of something like I was supposed to know what was going on. The feminist vibes were great but the main character was so passive that a lot of the feminism didn't come across as well as it could have. It felt more like the plot was happening to Claire, not like she was driving the plot, and that was really boring. I didn't like the instalove (if you can even call it that) and think the characters could have been more developed.
All that being said, I really liked the last 1/3 of the book. It was very action-packed, Claire was more interesting and strong, and book 2 was set up nicely. I will be reading book 2 and hope it is more like the ending of the first book.
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2021/02/03/muse/
This book was not as good as I was hoping it would be. I just didn't understand what was going on in most of the scenes.
I liked the concept of this retelling of US history but feel like I didn't really understand it. I definitely had the feeling of being thrown into the middle of something like I was supposed to know what was going on. The feminist vibes were great but the main character was so passive that a lot of the feminism didn't come across as well as it could have. It felt more like the plot was happening to Claire, not like she was driving the plot, and that was really boring. I didn't like the instalove (if you can even call it that) and think the characters could have been more developed.
All that being said, I really liked the last 1/3 of the book. It was very action-packed, Claire was more interesting and strong, and book 2 was set up nicely. I will be reading book 2 and hope it is more like the ending of the first book.
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2021/02/03/muse/