A review by laurareads87
Three Eight One by Aliya Whiteley

challenging reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.5

 Three Eight One follows two storylines – one is a story from 2024 in which a young protagonist, Fairly, goes on a quest; the other frames it: Rowena, a curator living in 2314, tries to make sense of Fairly’s story.  

 

This novel explores some interesting themes – the reliability or not of historical evidence, the ways historical evidence must be categorized and ‘made sense of’ at later times, the nature of quests and the ‘hero’s journey,’ and more.  Understanding all aspects of the novel is emphatically not the point – I think readers with this expectation will be frustrated or disappointed by it – and it leaves one with, perhaps, more questions than answers.  I really enjoyed this novel overall, but I did find the pacing inconsistent – I found the first 40% or so dragged compared to the rest, which I found much more captivating.  

 

Thank you to Solaris & NetGalley for the ARC I read for this review.