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A review by aamna_theinkslinger
The Legend of Black Jack by A.R. Witham
3.0
ARC acquired via NetGalle.
Legend of Blackjack is a very specific kind of story genre-wise. It seems to flirt the line between middle grade and YA. It is shelved as YA, but personally I felt like it leaned on the younger side of YA- around 12 to 13 years target audience.
It's an adventure story, with fast moving plot and action. But the tone changes quite a bit in between. In the first few chapters and prologue, it reads like a young adult contemporary, but then it completely changes gears to a fantasical portal world, atmospheric voice.
I say that it is somewhere in the middle because it has mixed elements. For example, the descriptions, the world building in quite some scenes with graphic content all point towards an older young adult read. But the vibe or the feel of it, mainly because of the main characters young age and voice, as well as how he (Jack) articulates things give it sort of a younger feel.
To conclude, I think it can be read by anyone in any age range. But it would be perfect specially for younger teens who are avid readers and are looking to level up.
The main character is amazing we see him in the prolog which was one of my favourite part of the story and tucked at my heart strings as a little boy of who loves his dad and admires him but then as we go on we find that fathers and you are tragically separated and jack has to grow up without him he has always been introverted kid he has an idiotic memory so he has become a better for genius just reading books and he is just quietly living his life in his first to home when su suddenly he is thrown into a fantastical world beneath a river, with weird creatures, knights and magic bells.
I would say that it is a well written fantasy world, with tightly woven action-packed plot and adorable and even really heartwarming side characters.
The only thing that fell short for me was the inconsistency in the tone of the story and the decision making of Jack's character. Sometimes he acts very mature, and realistic- with fear or caution or frustration and humor. But then there are just a couple of times, for example when he goes to rescue someone who has been captured by the villain. He doesn't seem to have a big connection with the person who has been captured. Jack had known them for hardly a week or two, and we don't get to see a lot of development in their relationship.
Jack fights through unimaginable danger just to rescue that person, but as the reader don't have any attachment to them. In my opinion a different motivation for that particular quest would have felt more believable.
As for criticism, that's all I have. As I said overall, I think this story is incredible- maybe not the most to my tastes but something different for a change.
Legend of Blackjack is a very specific kind of story genre-wise. It seems to flirt the line between middle grade and YA. It is shelved as YA, but personally I felt like it leaned on the younger side of YA- around 12 to 13 years target audience.
It's an adventure story, with fast moving plot and action. But the tone changes quite a bit in between. In the first few chapters and prologue, it reads like a young adult contemporary, but then it completely changes gears to a fantasical portal world, atmospheric voice.
I say that it is somewhere in the middle because it has mixed elements. For example, the descriptions, the world building in quite some scenes with graphic content all point towards an older young adult read. But the vibe or the feel of it, mainly because of the main characters young age and voice, as well as how he (Jack) articulates things give it sort of a younger feel.
To conclude, I think it can be read by anyone in any age range. But it would be perfect specially for younger teens who are avid readers and are looking to level up.
The main character is amazing we see him in the prolog which was one of my favourite part of the story and tucked at my heart strings as a little boy of who loves his dad and admires him but then as we go on we find that fathers and you are tragically separated and jack has to grow up without him he has always been introverted kid he has an idiotic memory so he has become a better for genius just reading books and he is just quietly living his life in his first to home when su suddenly he is thrown into a fantastical world beneath a river, with weird creatures, knights and magic bells.
I would say that it is a well written fantasy world, with tightly woven action-packed plot and adorable and even really heartwarming side characters.
The only thing that fell short for me was the inconsistency in the tone of the story and the decision making of Jack's character. Sometimes he acts very mature, and realistic- with fear or caution or frustration and humor. But then there are just a couple of times, for example when he goes to rescue someone who has been captured by the villain. He doesn't seem to have a big connection with the person who has been captured. Jack had known them for hardly a week or two, and we don't get to see a lot of development in their relationship.
Jack fights through unimaginable danger just to rescue that person, but as the reader don't have any attachment to them. In my opinion a different motivation for that particular quest would have felt more believable.
As for criticism, that's all I have. As I said overall, I think this story is incredible- maybe not the most to my tastes but something different for a change.