A review by plumpaperbacks
Desperate Measures by Katee Robert
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
[ETA, September 2022: Rating lowered from 3.75 to 3.5 stars.]
While my favorite of Robert’s books is still Neon Gods—I don’t think anything can top that one—this was still a good book. I liked Jasmine, liked watching her break free of her cages and grow more confident over the course of the story. I quite liked Megara and Tink, and am excited to see more of them. As for Jafar, I was mostly indifferent toward him, though I can appreciate his subtle character development. Great final plot twists—I was NOT expecting that betrayal or that murder—and a satisfying ending.
A couple of extra thoughts unrelated to my rating: I wasn’t a fan of Jasmine calling Jafar “daddy” (it’s weird to me, sorry not sorry) or of Jafar’s narrator in the audiobook. His voice was really low and raspy and honestly kind of creepy. Thankfully, he didn’t have very many chapters.
Representation
While my favorite of Robert’s books is still Neon Gods—I don’t think anything can top that one—this was still a good book. I liked Jasmine, liked watching her break free of her cages and grow more confident over the course of the story. I quite liked Megara and Tink, and am excited to see more of them. As for Jafar, I was mostly indifferent toward him, though I can appreciate his subtle character development. Great final plot twists—I was NOT expecting that betrayal or that murder—and a satisfying ending.
A couple of extra thoughts unrelated to my rating: I wasn’t a fan of Jasmine calling Jafar “daddy” (it’s weird to me, sorry not sorry) or of Jafar’s narrator in the audiobook. His voice was really low and raspy and honestly kind of creepy. Thankfully, he didn’t have very many chapters.
Representation
- queer protagonists of color
- queer side characters (some are also POC)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexism, Sexual content, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
Jasmine grew up confined to her father’s estate, and was often emotionally and occasionally physically abused by him.