A review by roguemultiverse
Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 1 Volume 1, by Miya Kazuki

lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I do like the overall premise of the story, a bookworm being reincarnated in a place where books are scarce and having to adapt. I also that she’s a commoner in a time of kingdoms. I recently was thinking how most historical fiction with courts is based within the court and it would be interesting to see a commoner character who is the focus for the story vs assisting the court character for a change. I thought the images throughout were cute and helped in visualizing the characters. 

It’s also cool that the MC is disability rep. She is chronically ill and some of her experiences such as having to take rest days after exertion are relatable. However there’s a lot of internalized ableism. I’m also glad that while this is a series, it ended on a note that felt like it came full circle enough not to read more because I found myself fighting not to DNF this. 

I really wanted to like this more than I did, but its very repetitive, with the MC frequently restating and summarizing things recently said, which made me feel like I was trudging through. I also didn’t love the 4th wall breaks especially as they assumed thoughts I wasn’t having and it was so occasional as to be abrupt. 

Also abrupt was the shift from first person, used throughout the book, to focusing on other characters and their thoughts in third person omniscient in the epilogue, then back to first person with different characters (the epilogue is chapters long). The epilogue too was repetitive at times with summaries of things that had happened in the same book. It also made me dislike some of the characters the way they talk about the MC when they’re supposed to be her friends. 

But I also was annoyed with the MC at times. She is kind of whiny and judgmental. It’s kind of apt she’s 22 and ends up a 5 year old given that. But it’s also pretty weird that she is reincarnated with her 22-year-old memories inside of a 5 year old but in a world where things are expected at her age that don’t seem appropriate. For example these kids start working at 7 years old, and the MC becomes an assistant younger once she starts learning letters and she’s paid in the pens she needs to write which is pretty exploitative. Someone questions Myne working so young but the kids a couple years older working isn’t questioned. 

It’s clear this takes place in an alternate world, but it was really hard to ground myself in it because m the descriptions of what’s different are pretty vague. For example she talks about a fruit and describes it as sweet then talks about someone throwing it. But what does it look like? I’m imaging a banana shape and weight but what if it’s like an apple shape and weight. Then there’s a core and I’m like okay maybe apple like. My partner points out it could be like corn on the cob. Anyway the MC comes from Japan originally and talks about what’s not there in the new world, so if nothing else she could’ve described by way of giving comparisons to existing fruits. 

As I write this I feel like these seem like minor complaints. But it all just made it so hard to make it to the end.