A review by bookemkinzo
The Pearl Hunter by Miya T. Beck
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Β π ARC Review: The Pearl Hunter π
π Inspired by japanese mythology
π epic journey
π mythical creatures and beings
π sisterly bonds
π bittersweet ending
This is a hard one for me to review. Because on one hand, I really enjoyed the setting, the mythological story inspiration, the magical epic quest, the hint of humor within the writing, and the subtle feminist themes engrained into the story. There were a few things that surprised me as the plot unfolded, as it was a bit unpredictable. It was more gritty than I expected it to be, with the action sequences and.
But on the other hand there were a few times where the writing felt a bit choppy... like it needed one more round of edits, some plot items were perhaps a bit too convenient, and the ending was not as satisfying to me as it could have been (I'm a big hea fan). One major red flag for me was at the 25% mark: a casual mention of suic*de. I understand this is set in a time and place were suic*de is not viewed as it is now, but in a children's/middle grade novel I feel like this should be further explained or edited out completely.
Honestly, this could be a duology if it wanted to be. The ending was abrupt and left a lot to be desired.
Genre: Middle Grade/Children's Low Fantasy
Age Rating: 13+
Overall Rating: 3.25/5
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the eARC.Β
π Inspired by japanese mythology
π epic journey
π mythical creatures and beings
π sisterly bonds
π bittersweet ending
This is a hard one for me to review. Because on one hand, I really enjoyed the setting, the mythological story inspiration, the magical epic quest, the hint of humor within the writing, and the subtle feminist themes engrained into the story. There were a few things that surprised me as the plot unfolded, as it was a bit unpredictable. It was more gritty than I expected it to be, with the action sequences and
Spoiler
the death of one of the horsesBut on the other hand there were a few times where the writing felt a bit choppy... like it needed one more round of edits, some plot items were perhaps a bit too convenient, and the ending was not as satisfying to me as it could have been (I'm a big hea fan). One major red flag for me was at the 25% mark: a casual mention of suic*de. I understand this is set in a time and place were suic*de is not viewed as it is now, but in a children's/middle grade novel I feel like this should be further explained or edited out completely.
Honestly, this could be a duology if it wanted to be. The ending was abrupt and left a lot to be desired.
Genre: Middle Grade/Children's Low Fantasy
Age Rating: 13+
Overall Rating: 3.25/5
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the eARC.Β