Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I'm glad Rebecca Thorne referred to Travis Baldree directly influencing this book because it is absolutely the fraternal twin sister to Legends and Lattes--which I loved, so I'm not complaining! It has the same sense of found family, coziness, and solid romantic relationships of that book and The House in the Cerulean Sea. So, if you're looking for a D&D-esque fantasy to curl up with during this cold season, I highly recommend this one.
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I would NOT recommend reading this book if you are pregnant, gave your baby up for adoption, or have recently given birth (especially if that birth was a traumatic one). As I was reading it I thought, "wow; I'm glad I didn't have to go through all of that at the hospital!" But, truthfully, some of those practices still exist fifty years after this book was set; the patriarchy is alive and well.
Regarding the book itself: I couldn't stop reading it, even though there are pacing issues (some parts are MADDENINGLY slow). Grady Hendrix continues to craft brilliantly eerie scenes and forever makes me wonder how a white man writes within these spheres and utilizes these tropes as well as he does (not that white men need any more praise, but...it's warranted here).
The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite books, so naturally I felt I would love a Pakistani romantasy YA retelling. I enjoyed Dania as a protagonist; her revenge-fueled rage is reminiscent of Edmond Dantès, and her friendship with foil Noor works SO well. (I wanted more Noor, to be honest; she's the sarcastic comic relief this novel needs.) Mazin is fine; I don't think I wholly understood Dania's attraction to him (besides his muscles), and his justification for betraying her feels weak. But overall their passion makes sense in the context of the story.
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I had fun with this! My rating is generous because I have a soft spot for novels set in Chicago that are written by someone who clearly knows the city and surrounding suburbs, but the plot is fun as well--there are some laugh-out-loud moments even amidst some of the more tiresome "how does modernity work??" bits from Griffin. I wanted more from Jason and his secret society, but maybe that will be covered in a sequel...
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
There are some transitional points in the text that didn't flow well for me, but overall the writing is excellent. I love a good retelling and a solid revenge story, and this is very much both (and skewers the racial attitudes of Civil-War-era America).
I checked this out because my friend's therapist recommended they listen to it (and I'm not above stealing therapy from friends!)--I found it cute and engaging but definitely would have gotten lost just reading it. (Simon Vance's narration with his various voices is stellar.) I didn't know anything about Taoism before reading this, and I still have a lot to learn...but it's a solid introduction.