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A review by beingsimba
Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi
adventurous
medium-paced
3.0
Children of Virtue and Vengeance is a frustrating read and I am of two minds of this book.
First and foremost, the themes are so important. The larger commentary on loss/grief, oppression, and appropriation are so well done and really landed emotional blows and fostered reflection.
From a pure entertainment perspective though, this book was a disappointment. While I could empathize with many of the characters, I didn't like any of them. The romance felt forced. And the plot was so circular that by the end of the novel most things were in the same state as the beginning. It took until the Epilogue for a spark of interest in reading the finale of this series.
If you really loved the first book, I would imagine you will be just as satisfied with this installment. But the YA-ness of this book really bummed me out. I was hoping to enjoy it more than I did.
First and foremost, the themes are so important. The larger commentary on loss/grief, oppression, and appropriation are so well done and really landed emotional blows and fostered reflection.
From a pure entertainment perspective though, this book was a disappointment. While I could empathize with many of the characters, I didn't like any of them. The romance felt forced. And the plot was so circular that by the end of the novel most things were in the same state as the beginning. It took until the Epilogue for a spark of interest in reading the finale of this series.
If you really loved the first book, I would imagine you will be just as satisfied with this installment. But the YA-ness of this book really bummed me out. I was hoping to enjoy it more than I did.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Genocide, Violence, Xenophobia, and Grief