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A review by lexi17d
The Name-Bearer by Natalia Hernandez
adventurous
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
3.75
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The representation was great, the story was unique, the characters interesting and well developed. I am a huge fan of our main character. Her development as a character felt very realistic, and I loved reading her journey. The side characters were all very distinct people, and I loved watching her relationships with each one progress and develop. This book has one of the most unique plots that I’ve read, and I love the diversity included in this book within the Latinx and LGBTQ communities.
The biggest critique I have of this book is the writing itself. I recognize this book is an independently published book and is the authors first novel, so I am overlooking simple editing errors in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure etc. (I’m no editor, so I can’t reliably comment on those anyways). However, many of the large plot points and scenes were quickly glossed over and briefly explained rather than shown, which threw the pacing off and left me feeling slightly unfulfilled. I think this book would have greatly benefited with an extra 50-100 pages to really fill out the story and add the detail, world building, and development of side characters that I felt was missing. As this is the first book in a series, I have confidence that it will only improve, though I wish we got to see more of what was happening with other characters later in the book, and got more context with the world earlier in the book. The ending was also very abrupt, and left me feeling confused.
That is all to say that I want more from this book! I think this is a great start for this author and series, and I will be continuing the series once the next books come out. I can’t wait to see how this author improves in the next books, and to see what happens next to our MC!
The biggest critique I have of this book is the writing itself. I recognize this book is an independently published book and is the authors first novel, so I am overlooking simple editing errors in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure etc. (I’m no editor, so I can’t reliably comment on those anyways). However, many of the large plot points and scenes were quickly glossed over and briefly explained rather than shown, which threw the pacing off and left me feeling slightly unfulfilled. I think this book would have greatly benefited with an extra 50-100 pages to really fill out the story and add the detail, world building, and development of side characters that I felt was missing. As this is the first book in a series, I have confidence that it will only improve, though I wish we got to see more of what was happening with other characters later in the book, and got more context with the world earlier in the book. The ending was also very abrupt, and left me feeling confused.
That is all to say that I want more from this book! I think this is a great start for this author and series, and I will be continuing the series once the next books come out. I can’t wait to see how this author improves in the next books, and to see what happens next to our MC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Abandonment