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A review by emitchellwrites
Cogling by Jordan Elizabeth
5.0
**This review contains (non-blatant) spoilers**
Jordan Elizabeth Mierek sent me her latest book for an open and honest review.
I started the first half of this book almost a month before I finished it. It took everything I had not to stop everything I was doing to finish it, but I was in the middle of a move across the country and that took up a lot of my time and energy. But, finally, things calmed down and I was able to sit down and enjoy this imaginative story Jordan offered us.
As usual, I have good and bad to report - more good than bad. I won’t bullet point it, as it wasn’t that cut and dry. I find that is a testament to how much I enjoyed the book as a whole.
First, I should start by saying that I did not read a synopsis of this book before I began reading it. I had no idea what I was about to get into when I read the first line of this steampunk changeling young adult book, and honestly, I’m glad I didn’t. It’s not to say that I wouldn’t have enjoyed it either way, I would have, there’s just something to be said about discovery.
I hadn’t put together the creative word Cogling at all, so that was pleasant. Speaking of creative words, her cursing was clever, if not a little reminiscent of her other works. I think of that as a positive and negative. It’s clear that the writing is hers, unique and consistent, but I would prefer a smidgen of variety in that aspect. That being said, her ability to swear often without offending anyone is brilliant.
Jordan evokes responses with her descriptions, not just in my ability to visualize the wool coat or ticking pocket watch, but I can smell the lavender and unwashed vagrants, feel the liquid drip down a dress I’m not wearing. Words are hard, haha. They don’t always come easily, or how you want them to, but she hands them to me and lets me do what I will with them. I’m not spoonfed though, which I hate. It’s just enough.
The story is cute, unique in some parts, retelling in others. The retelling isn’t bothersome because it’s like an old fairy tale, it slips on like an old robe with new patches. There were some pacing issues at the beginning that evened out by 1/4 of the way through. It was as if things were speeding a little to get to the meat of the story. The only reason that really bothered me was it felt unrealistic. I’ve accepted that dragons hover over police officers shoulders and hags steal children’s dreams, but can one person talk to so many people in such a short time? I reference a chapter towards the beginning of the book. But, as I say, the pacing evens out. Towards the middle, Edna and Ike are on a journey that feels fantastical in a very fun way. The secrets that Ike and Edna both keep were added fun. With each page turn there were many more magical/ fantastical things that were so wonderful to read and kept my interest.
She let each character have a voice, and I don’t just mean perspective, though quite a few of them got that as well, if not for just a moment. Everyone from Harrison, the younger brother, to Hilda, the hag cousin, felt fleshed-out. I knew enough about them to care. I even grew to care about Edna’s mother whom we only meet for a moment, just through memories and stories Edna tells.
Ike’s character felt older when she met him while Edna acted younger than she was supposed to be. However, they began acting their ages as they grew comfortable with each other. They have a bit of romance going on towards the end. It comes and goes through the book, starting with an oddly forced kiss in a closet that could be out of self-preservation, or not. Honestly, it felt a bit odd at first, startling even, with Edna going from thinking him a friend or being irritated with him to wanted to snuggle into him or kiss him at inappropriate times, but it slid into place by the end.
As the story unfolded I became more and more lost in it. I couldn’t put it down. It started too fast, evened out, and then became such a page turner that I was the one moving too fast. I felt like I’d miss something if I didn’t take a breath, but I needed to know what was going to happen next. But really, isn’t that just Jordan’s way? The ending was just too sweet, but not sugary so. It felt like a nice bow on a really good present.
All in all, it’s another home run for Jordan Elizabeth Mierek.
Jordan Elizabeth Mierek sent me her latest book for an open and honest review.
I started the first half of this book almost a month before I finished it. It took everything I had not to stop everything I was doing to finish it, but I was in the middle of a move across the country and that took up a lot of my time and energy. But, finally, things calmed down and I was able to sit down and enjoy this imaginative story Jordan offered us.
As usual, I have good and bad to report - more good than bad. I won’t bullet point it, as it wasn’t that cut and dry. I find that is a testament to how much I enjoyed the book as a whole.
First, I should start by saying that I did not read a synopsis of this book before I began reading it. I had no idea what I was about to get into when I read the first line of this steampunk changeling young adult book, and honestly, I’m glad I didn’t. It’s not to say that I wouldn’t have enjoyed it either way, I would have, there’s just something to be said about discovery.
I hadn’t put together the creative word Cogling at all, so that was pleasant. Speaking of creative words, her cursing was clever, if not a little reminiscent of her other works. I think of that as a positive and negative. It’s clear that the writing is hers, unique and consistent, but I would prefer a smidgen of variety in that aspect. That being said, her ability to swear often without offending anyone is brilliant.
Jordan evokes responses with her descriptions, not just in my ability to visualize the wool coat or ticking pocket watch, but I can smell the lavender and unwashed vagrants, feel the liquid drip down a dress I’m not wearing. Words are hard, haha. They don’t always come easily, or how you want them to, but she hands them to me and lets me do what I will with them. I’m not spoonfed though, which I hate. It’s just enough.
The story is cute, unique in some parts, retelling in others. The retelling isn’t bothersome because it’s like an old fairy tale, it slips on like an old robe with new patches. There were some pacing issues at the beginning that evened out by 1/4 of the way through. It was as if things were speeding a little to get to the meat of the story. The only reason that really bothered me was it felt unrealistic. I’ve accepted that dragons hover over police officers shoulders and hags steal children’s dreams, but can one person talk to so many people in such a short time? I reference a chapter towards the beginning of the book. But, as I say, the pacing evens out. Towards the middle, Edna and Ike are on a journey that feels fantastical in a very fun way. The secrets that Ike and Edna both keep were added fun. With each page turn there were many more magical/ fantastical things that were so wonderful to read and kept my interest.
She let each character have a voice, and I don’t just mean perspective, though quite a few of them got that as well, if not for just a moment. Everyone from Harrison, the younger brother, to Hilda, the hag cousin, felt fleshed-out. I knew enough about them to care. I even grew to care about Edna’s mother whom we only meet for a moment, just through memories and stories Edna tells.
Ike’s character felt older when she met him while Edna acted younger than she was supposed to be. However, they began acting their ages as they grew comfortable with each other. They have a bit of romance going on towards the end. It comes and goes through the book, starting with an oddly forced kiss in a closet that could be out of self-preservation, or not. Honestly, it felt a bit odd at first, startling even, with Edna going from thinking him a friend or being irritated with him to wanted to snuggle into him or kiss him at inappropriate times, but it slid into place by the end.
As the story unfolded I became more and more lost in it. I couldn’t put it down. It started too fast, evened out, and then became such a page turner that I was the one moving too fast. I felt like I’d miss something if I didn’t take a breath, but I needed to know what was going to happen next. But really, isn’t that just Jordan’s way? The ending was just too sweet, but not sugary so. It felt like a nice bow on a really good present.
All in all, it’s another home run for Jordan Elizabeth Mierek.