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A review by tinkeringcheck
Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A fantastic concept with lovely fairy tale-esque descriptions and a very fun main character in Fox. I found his voice delightful and his perspective as - well - a fox very well thought through in how it affected his narration. I also found his internal struggles felt real and oddly relatable. It was nice to see characters in fantasy who struggle with fear and anxiety still feel scared and anxious while trying to do the right thing anyway. Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this book!
However, it was younger YA than I was expecting and mechanically there were some things that would've lowered my overall opinion if they hadn't been surrounded by such an enjoyable package. The other main character POV - Cerys - felt underdeveloped and one-note next to Fox. The plot twists are walloped over your head well in advance and, personally, I felt they were a bit of a downgrade for plotting and characterization as well. There's also a climax-to-epilogue time skip that will probably leave some feeling like too much denouement was left off the page.
I still feel that the sparkling characters, fairy tale setting, and the lovely but fast-flowing prose made this a fun and worthwhile read. But I wish I'd have known to adjust my expectations to younger YA plotting and character depth going into it.
However, it was younger YA than I was expecting and mechanically there were some things that would've lowered my overall opinion if they hadn't been surrounded by such an enjoyable package. The other main character POV - Cerys - felt underdeveloped and one-note next to Fox. The plot twists are walloped over your head well in advance and, personally, I felt they were a bit of a downgrade for plotting and characterization as well. There's also a climax-to-epilogue time skip that will probably leave some feeling like too much denouement was left off the page.
I still feel that the sparkling characters, fairy tale setting, and the lovely but fast-flowing prose made this a fun and worthwhile read. But I wish I'd have known to adjust my expectations to younger YA plotting and character depth going into it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, and Death of parent