A review by read_al_about_it
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This was not my cup of tea. The plot honestly wasn't my favorite. Maybe it's because I am 29 years old, and maybe it's because we are in the middle of a pandemic but the tension was too much and seemed unnecessary. As a parent, I felt the entire premise was flawed, and just couldn't wrap my head around a school like this being the best option for even a group of magical children. The story overall just felt lacking. 

Things I did enjoy however were the diverse characters. I am White and know that many people have far more detailed feelings surrounding this particular topic. Although I didn't feel like there was strong character development and that they were two-dimensional there were lots of different cultures represented across the characters in this story. The ending did catch me off guard as well which was a nice surprise. 

I don't think I will be picking up the second book in the series for myself but if my middle-grade-age daughter makes me I won't be completely against hearing second-hand how the ending of the first book panned out in the second. 
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