Scan barcode
skylarkblue1's reviews
242 reviews
The Women by Kristin Hannah
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
To start with: There is no named Vietnamese character, Frankie's whole life is dictated by men and she only just follows men around, the book seems to think Vietnamese women only wear áo dàis and completely ignores the Vietnamese women who fought in the war and even supported Americans (in more ways than just serving them Jack Daniels...).
Frankie is a rich, spoilt brat who's main goal is just to have her father proud of her. Her whole life is dictated and saved by men, and there's no point where she breaks out of that. In fact, even at the end of the book, she's still chasing men. She's really not likeable, and despite the book trying SO hard to *tell* you she's strong, she really doesn't feel like that. Veterans have an incredibly high rate of homelessness and are unable to get medical care in any regard. Frankie has 0 issues with any of that, she never has money problems, she's gifted homes, and easily gets medical care.
The rest of the characters feel really 1 dimensional. And there's no even half-way decent man in the story - except one, who's treated really badly by Frankie honestly.
This book seems to pack in every single tragedy it can, it's kind of impressive and if you played a drinking game where you take a shot for every tragedy your liver absolutely wouldn't exist afterwards. The amount of tragedies is about the same as the amount of wild coincidences. What do you mean Frankie just happens to be in the right place at the right time every single time for every situation? What do you mean that some random-ass person gets news about an event with Frankie's family before Frankie does just a couple days after said event (while halfway across the country??)? Even the ending with the love interests gets fucking insane quickly with the sheer coincidences and also overused tropes.
Every single lazy writing trope you can think of, is used here. It's all telling and not showing, everything works out for the protag without much issue at all, so much padding and overused tropes and it's just a mess honestly. I went into this without reading anything about it, or knowing anything about any of her other books, but it seems like a few of the plot beats in this are repeated in multiple of her other books as well..
There is no subtly, no nuance and no proper consideration done towards the country and culture of Vietnam. There's no actual Vietnamese characters, and from what I can tell no Vietnamese people mentioned in the acknowledgements either. Which is kind of wild because it seems like there was actually a decent amount of research done into what the American life was in the army and such over there and coming back home. The PTSD portrayal was also somewhat decent - even if there was more focus on the spiralling and substance abuse than how she got better...
The book doesn't even try and tackle the issue of America being the one fucking over everyone in the war that hard. Yes it does mention that a bit, but it's more in off-hand comments and doesn't really try and *actually* talk about it - instead it just changes topic to romance more often than not.
I think this really sums up what I feel is wrong with "feminist fiction" honestly. Trying far too hard to try and go "look, women strong!" without really saying.. why? Or even just actually writing men like they're a person and not just a sole personification for the patriarchy.
Maybe if you want to write a petty messy romance, don't use the Vietnam war as just a atmospheric backdrop.
Frankie is a rich, spoilt brat who's main goal is just to have her father proud of her. Her whole life is dictated and saved by men, and there's no point where she breaks out of that. In fact, even at the end of the book, she's still chasing men. She's really not likeable, and despite the book trying SO hard to *tell* you she's strong, she really doesn't feel like that. Veterans have an incredibly high rate of homelessness and are unable to get medical care in any regard. Frankie has 0 issues with any of that, she never has money problems, she's gifted homes, and easily gets medical care.
The rest of the characters feel really 1 dimensional. And there's no even half-way decent man in the story - except one, who's treated really badly by Frankie honestly.
This book seems to pack in every single tragedy it can, it's kind of impressive and if you played a drinking game where you take a shot for every tragedy your liver absolutely wouldn't exist afterwards. The amount of tragedies is about the same as the amount of wild coincidences. What do you mean Frankie just happens to be in the right place at the right time every single time for every situation? What do you mean that some random-ass person gets news about an event with Frankie's family before Frankie does just a couple days after said event (while halfway across the country??)? Even the ending with the love interests gets fucking insane quickly with the sheer coincidences and also overused tropes.
Every single lazy writing trope you can think of, is used here. It's all telling and not showing, everything works out for the protag without much issue at all, so much padding and overused tropes and it's just a mess honestly. I went into this without reading anything about it, or knowing anything about any of her other books, but it seems like a few of the plot beats in this are repeated in multiple of her other books as well..
There is no subtly, no nuance and no proper consideration done towards the country and culture of Vietnam. There's no actual Vietnamese characters, and from what I can tell no Vietnamese people mentioned in the acknowledgements either. Which is kind of wild because it seems like there was actually a decent amount of research done into what the American life was in the army and such over there and coming back home. The PTSD portrayal was also somewhat decent - even if there was more focus on the spiralling and substance abuse than how she got better...
The book doesn't even try and tackle the issue of America being the one fucking over everyone in the war that hard. Yes it does mention that a bit, but it's more in off-hand comments and doesn't really try and *actually* talk about it - instead it just changes topic to romance more often than not.
I think this really sums up what I feel is wrong with "feminist fiction" honestly. Trying far too hard to try and go "look, women strong!" without really saying.. why? Or even just actually writing men like they're a person and not just a sole personification for the patriarchy.
Maybe if you want to write a petty messy romance, don't use the Vietnam war as just a atmospheric backdrop.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer and Torture
Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Representations: https://trello.com/c/ZFr6xUnX/125-ghost-station-by-sa-barnes
Spooky body horror mystery that's Alien-esque. Did not disappoint after Dead Silence!
I love how Barnes does the unreliable narrator trope, and especially how different it's been done between her 2 horror books. The main character, Ophelia was strong, stubborn but flawed in a great way. The portrayal of trauma, PTSD and trying to grow through horror is really well written into the story and the characters themselves.
The rest of the cast are quite strong as well. The way they're effected through the book, how their arcs play out and how they work together felt great to read. Ophelia is the outsider of the group and that's shown perfectly without too much telling. The romance feels a little weird though, you can very easily ignore it and there's not much of a focus on it, but it does feel a little rushed and not really that well fleshed out. It's kinda one of those "they feel closer just because they're in a very high stress, dangerous environment" relationships but also doesn't really explore any themes of closeness and what that kind of relationship does in that situation. But I also didn't mind that anyway cause the rest of the story was full enough imo.
The plot is not as mind-fucky as Dead Silence nor as complicated, but that's not a bad thing. The flow is more linear but with a strong mystery threaded through it. I think the epilogue could have been a tad bit stronger with a bit more detail, more how's and why's, but there's enough detail to piece things together decently well throughout. I'd say it's in-between fast and medium paced, it was a quick read.
A fair bit more explicit body-horror in this one, but of the more Alien kind.
The main character being a therapist was a very nice touch, not a common perspective but you can tell a lot of work went into it. Especially in such a horrible situation, with so much trauma and distress, it was a fascinating read from that perspective!
Spooky body horror mystery that's Alien-esque. Did not disappoint after Dead Silence!
I love how Barnes does the unreliable narrator trope, and especially how different it's been done between her 2 horror books. The main character, Ophelia was strong, stubborn but flawed in a great way. The portrayal of trauma, PTSD and trying to grow through horror is really well written into the story and the characters themselves.
The rest of the cast are quite strong as well. The way they're effected through the book, how their arcs play out and how they work together felt great to read. Ophelia is the outsider of the group and that's shown perfectly without too much telling. The romance feels a little weird though, you can very easily ignore it and there's not much of a focus on it, but it does feel a little rushed and not really that well fleshed out. It's kinda one of those "they feel closer just because they're in a very high stress, dangerous environment" relationships but also doesn't really explore any themes of closeness and what that kind of relationship does in that situation. But I also didn't mind that anyway cause the rest of the story was full enough imo.
The plot is not as mind-fucky as Dead Silence nor as complicated, but that's not a bad thing. The flow is more linear but with a strong mystery threaded through it. I think the epilogue could have been a tad bit stronger with a bit more detail, more how's and why's, but there's enough detail to piece things together decently well throughout. I'd say it's in-between fast and medium paced, it was a quick read.
A fair bit more explicit body-horror in this one, but of the more Alien kind.
The main character being a therapist was a very nice touch, not a common perspective but you can tell a lot of work went into it. Especially in such a horrible situation, with so much trauma and distress, it was a fascinating read from that perspective!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Dementia and Alcohol
We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord by Garth Nix
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Representations: https://trello.com/c/59KbB5rv/124-we-do-not-welcome-our-ten-year-old-overlord-by-garth-nix
Tense, surprisingly gory (animal gore, not human) and I genuinely forgot that I think this is actually meant to be a middle grade book lmao.
The characters where a mixed bag for sure, it's hard to get decent character depth in a short time with so much else going on so it's not super character driven (especially with there being so many characters too) but you still get a decent show of their personalities - especially in the D&D sections!
The plot was insane and wild, certainly something that needs a good amount of suspension of disbelief, but also really felt like they were kids which was nice. A weird sci-fi, Stranger Things, D&D mix of things that works quite well. It's fast paced, manages to fit a lot in and while the ending feels a little ehhhhh it still works tbh. Just wish it worked in the ending reveal a bit better into the rest of the book.
D&D was a really nice inclusion, and the hand-made maps and details at the end + the authors note was really sweet honestly, the book really felt like a love-letter to proper "at-home" running with friends kinda style of game and played out a little like one too imo (though, the book's story would probably work better as a call of cthulhu game tbh :P).
Tense, surprisingly gory (animal gore, not human) and I genuinely forgot that I think this is actually meant to be a middle grade book lmao.
The characters where a mixed bag for sure, it's hard to get decent character depth in a short time with so much else going on so it's not super character driven (especially with there being so many characters too) but you still get a decent show of their personalities - especially in the D&D sections!
The plot was insane and wild, certainly something that needs a good amount of suspension of disbelief, but also really felt like they were kids which was nice. A weird sci-fi, Stranger Things, D&D mix of things that works quite well. It's fast paced, manages to fit a lot in and while the ending feels a little ehhhhh it still works tbh. Just wish it worked in the ending reveal a bit better into the rest of the book.
D&D was a really nice inclusion, and the hand-made maps and details at the end + the authors note was really sweet honestly, the book really felt like a love-letter to proper "at-home" running with friends kinda style of game and played out a little like one too imo (though, the book's story would probably work better as a call of cthulhu game tbh :P).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, and Blood
non-pet and very very short lived pet. Deaths not on-page.
The International House of Dereliction by Jacqueline Davies
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Representations: https://trello.com/c/QsatyC0J/123-the-international-house-of-dereliction-by-jacqueline-davies
Sort of slow until the end, and not too much happens (also until the end) but still quite worth a read if you want a seasonal feeling book but you don't like actual spooks.
The characters are the main focus, exploring each ghost's lives and trying to solve why they're stuck there. I'd have liked if it went more in-depth with each ghost, more about who each were as I felt that was really lacking. The ghosts were good though, and so was the main character Alice and her parents. Honestly really loved her parents, they were really vibrant and full of character.
There isn't too much plot, like mentioned the story basically just focuses on the ghosts. There is world building though, a surprising amount, which really does flesh out the world around quite nicely within such a short time.
It's just a short read that uses its time pretty well with a nice softer ghost/haunted house story that I would say mostly feels good.
Sort of slow until the end, and not too much happens (also until the end) but still quite worth a read if you want a seasonal feeling book but you don't like actual spooks.
The characters are the main focus, exploring each ghost's lives and trying to solve why they're stuck there. I'd have liked if it went more in-depth with each ghost, more about who each were as I felt that was really lacking. The ghosts were good though, and so was the main character Alice and her parents. Honestly really loved her parents, they were really vibrant and full of character.
There isn't too much plot, like mentioned the story basically just focuses on the ghosts. There is world building though, a surprising amount, which really does flesh out the world around quite nicely within such a short time.
It's just a short read that uses its time pretty well with a nice softer ghost/haunted house story that I would say mostly feels good.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death
Minor: Grief
Cult of the Lamb: The First Verse by Alex Paknadel
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Representations: https://trello.com/c/hEFMilh6/122-cult-of-the-lamb-vol-1-the-first-verse-by-alex-paknadel-troy-little
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Well this was a cute and badass surprise! I've never actually played the game even though I really want to (arachnophobia + spider boss doesn't mess well xD) so I did actually go into this mostly blind, and I really enjoyed it! It does have that "video game" feel to it, but not in a bad way at all.
Characters felt suprisingly developed, I loved Nana a lot, and even Lamb themselves I was rooting for. For a character that's meant to be a blank slate for players to make who they want, Lamb really does make for a compelling main character!
The plot was suprisingly fun as well, it did feel a little light on the action specifically, but it was actually quite emotional and I absolutely need to know what happens next!! I really do think this is a good comic for both those that like a cartoony darker story and those that are fans of the game. There's certainly something for everyone here!
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Well this was a cute and badass surprise! I've never actually played the game even though I really want to (arachnophobia + spider boss doesn't mess well xD) so I did actually go into this mostly blind, and I really enjoyed it! It does have that "video game" feel to it, but not in a bad way at all.
Characters felt suprisingly developed, I loved Nana a lot, and even Lamb themselves I was rooting for. For a character that's meant to be a blank slate for players to make who they want, Lamb really does make for a compelling main character!
The plot was suprisingly fun as well, it did feel a little light on the action specifically, but it was actually quite emotional and I absolutely need to know what happens next!! I really do think this is a good comic for both those that like a cartoony darker story and those that are fans of the game. There's certainly something for everyone here!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Gore, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Genocide
Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I'm conflicted. On one hand, sunbearer trials is one of my favourite ever books. On the other hand.... This really didn't meet expectations.
I loved the characters of course, Niya is still best girl and her dialogue with other characters was still on point. The character growth and their emotions did come through really nicely as well. The new additions didn't feel too much or too overwhelming, they all had their places. Honestly, don't really have much issue with the characters!
The plot is where it starts to fall apart though. For such a large book, larger than the first one, there really isn't that much that happens. It's a bit like Tom Cardy's lord of the rings song... Most of the plot happens in the last 15% ish, and the ending is good.. but somehow feels a little rushed at the same time. A lot is told, a lot just seems to work out first try without really any planning and things just go a bit too well. It's all a bit convenient.
As for pacing, it was both very slow, but then in that ending bit super fast. There was odd bits of action thrown in, and a couple interesting character moments, but otherwise they where just walking.
The creativity and brightness from book 1 is gone, and while yes that's partially due to how different the plot is, I still want to get more of a sense of the world. The apocalypse only *just* happened! Society hasn't fully collapsed yet!! Most of what we see is honestly just.... Societies that have existed like that for ages and haven't really changed from the apocalypse.
I think, book 1 is still absolutely worth reading, but don't expect this to be on the same level. The cliffhanger from book 1 is too brutal to just leave on so I guess it's a catch 22 aha..
I loved the characters of course, Niya is still best girl and her dialogue with other characters was still on point. The character growth and their emotions did come through really nicely as well. The new additions didn't feel too much or too overwhelming, they all had their places. Honestly, don't really have much issue with the characters!
The plot is where it starts to fall apart though. For such a large book, larger than the first one, there really isn't that much that happens. It's a bit like Tom Cardy's lord of the rings song... Most of the plot happens in the last 15% ish, and the ending is good.. but somehow feels a little rushed at the same time. A lot is told, a lot just seems to work out first try without really any planning and things just go a bit too well. It's all a bit convenient.
As for pacing, it was both very slow, but then in that ending bit super fast. There was odd bits of action thrown in, and a couple interesting character moments, but otherwise they where just walking.
The creativity and brightness from book 1 is gone, and while yes that's partially due to how different the plot is, I still want to get more of a sense of the world. The apocalypse only *just* happened! Society hasn't fully collapsed yet!! Most of what we see is honestly just.... Societies that have existed like that for ages and haven't really changed from the apocalypse.
I think, book 1 is still absolutely worth reading, but don't expect this to be on the same level. The cliffhanger from book 1 is too brutal to just leave on so I guess it's a catch 22 aha..
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Torture, and War
Minor: Genocide, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts
The Nice House on the Lake Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Representations: https://trello.com/c/xI1D938Z/121-the-nice-house-on-the-lake-vol-1-by-james-tynion-iv
Wow, just wow! The art is so fluid and detailed and while the story isn't super long, I think it handles its length quite well!
The characters, there's just way too many of them in all honesty. The character guide being at the very very back of the book means you end up reading half of the overall story before realising you have a good guide for it. They are fun characters though and I can't wait to see more about how they're all there and why.
The story feels a little rushed, due to the short length, it's mainly just back stories on the characters and a tiny bit of what's currently happening. Most things are told through montages of sorts and told to us instead of properly shown. But what's there is good, and certainly kept me reading. There's a strong mystery, very interesting cliffhanger and I absolutely cannot wait to see how it's resolved!
Wow, just wow! The art is so fluid and detailed and while the story isn't super long, I think it handles its length quite well!
The characters, there's just way too many of them in all honesty. The character guide being at the very very back of the book means you end up reading half of the overall story before realising you have a good guide for it. They are fun characters though and I can't wait to see more about how they're all there and why.
The story feels a little rushed, due to the short length, it's mainly just back stories on the characters and a tiny bit of what's currently happening. Most things are told through montages of sorts and told to us instead of properly shown. But what's there is good, and certainly kept me reading. There's a strong mystery, very interesting cliffhanger and I absolutely cannot wait to see how it's resolved!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Deadnaming, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I still think these are a little short, I would love to be shown a lot more, especially in-between and the actual detective work itself. But it's still a very cosy, very wholesome read! Quick to finish but leaves you feeling very hungry and wanting to pop to a Japanese resturant!
The characters are as varied as before, different reasons for seeking the agency and different resolutions, and the main duo while not really much development I do quite enjoy their chemistry!
And Drowsy, if this series doesn't end with them getting into the resturant I'll be upset!
I do really love how varied the food is, and especially highlighting different region's food. I can't say I know too much about all that but the bits I do know I recognise! Learning about new dishes and ingredients is so much fun!! and painful, because I know I'll never be able to eat like, any of it :')
I still think these are a little short, I would love to be shown a lot more, especially in-between and the actual detective work itself. But it's still a very cosy, very wholesome read! Quick to finish but leaves you feeling very hungry and wanting to pop to a Japanese resturant!
The characters are as varied as before, different reasons for seeking the agency and different resolutions, and the main duo while not really much development I do quite enjoy their chemistry!
And Drowsy, if this series doesn't end with them getting into the resturant I'll be upset!
I do really love how varied the food is, and especially highlighting different region's food. I can't say I know too much about all that but the bits I do know I recognise! Learning about new dishes and ingredients is so much fun!! and painful, because I know I'll never be able to eat like, any of it :')
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Classism
Minor: Child death
Vivi Conway and the Haunted Quest by Lizzie Huxley-Jones
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Representations: https://trello.com/c/SfwIpwjF/120-vivi-conway-2-vivi-conway-and-the-haunted-quest-by-lizzie-huxley-jones
LIZZIE WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO US OH MY GOD??? I JUST SPENT OVER AN HOUR JUST PROCESSING THAT ENDING WHAT DID I JUST READ???
absolutely an 11/10 though, no issues no problems just pure enjoyment and then that insanity at the end was just perfection even if it broke my brain a little thinking of the wait I'll have to endure now until the next book releases....
Characters where top-notch again, and with the addition of Meredith - another Autistic person who is also an ambulatory wheelchair user with EDS! Same with book 1, none of the representation feels forced or out of place at all, it's all so wonderfully written!
Gelert I still love, I read his lines in the voice of Drippy from Ni No Kuni in all honesty haha
Not much character development in this one, but I don't think that's too needed. There was a lot in book 1, and this book is a lot more focused on evolving the plot and diving deeper into the world building. And it was super cool! A lot more into the mythology, calling out different aspects of it and really just expanding it all out more with a fun little treasure hunt.
Honestly, I just love this series so much. The welsh and autistic rep at the same time is beautiful especially with queer rep ontop as well. It's a combination I never thought I'd see, reflecting myself, but I'm just so so glad it's there. There's quite a lot of queer rep, more disabled rep is appearing, but still very little Welsh rep so seeing the wonderful language used so much in this book, I really hope to see more next book!!!
LIZZIE WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO US OH MY GOD??? I JUST SPENT OVER AN HOUR JUST PROCESSING THAT ENDING WHAT DID I JUST READ???
absolutely an 11/10 though, no issues no problems just pure enjoyment and then that insanity at the end was just perfection even if it broke my brain a little thinking of the wait I'll have to endure now until the next book releases....
Characters where top-notch again, and with the addition of Meredith - another Autistic person who is also an ambulatory wheelchair user with EDS! Same with book 1, none of the representation feels forced or out of place at all, it's all so wonderfully written!
Gelert I still love, I read his lines in the voice of Drippy from Ni No Kuni in all honesty haha
Not much character development in this one, but I don't think that's too needed. There was a lot in book 1, and this book is a lot more focused on evolving the plot and diving deeper into the world building. And it was super cool! A lot more into the mythology, calling out different aspects of it and really just expanding it all out more with a fun little treasure hunt.
Honestly, I just love this series so much. The welsh and autistic rep at the same time is beautiful especially with queer rep ontop as well. It's a combination I never thought I'd see, reflecting myself, but I'm just so so glad it's there. There's quite a lot of queer rep, more disabled rep is appearing, but still very little Welsh rep so seeing the wonderful language used so much in this book, I really hope to see more next book!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, and Panic attacks/disorders
Onyeka and The Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Representations: https://trello.com/c/K55VC7tP/119-onyeka-1-onyeka-and-the-academy-of-the-sun-by-t%E1%BB%8Dl%C3%A1-okogwu
I really loved the world of this, and Onyeka herself was such a strong protagonist! Unfortunatly though I think there was maybe a couple too many characters, and the way the plot was spread out and ended needs a revise. I wouldn't call how it ended a cliffhanger, it just felt unfinished and like someone ripped out some pages from the back of my book. I thought there was a lot left in the version I had, but it was just a long authors note, acknowledgements, and then an excerpt of book 2... really hate when publishers do that.
Onyeka was just such a compelling main character. She was strong, yes, but it felt believeable and not a "chosen one" situation at all. She also really just felt like a kid, I'm not sure why people are giving negative reviews based on an "unrealistic home life" and not believing Onyeka would just not know anything but like... it happens all the time with divorced parents, abandoned kids, etc? Kids don't want to believe the worst, and the remaining parent often doesn't want to make the other parent out to be a villain or something so lies are often told and believed.
The other characters were a mix though, Hassan and Adanna were the main 2 side characters that stood out to me and were memorable and the rest kinda merged together or I just forgot about until they popped up like Cheyenne. I'd have loved to read more of Cheyenne but she popped up just so infrequently and kind of at random that she was more of a memory in the book than an actual character despite being such a massive part of the first part of the book (before Onyeka goes to Nigeria).
Oh the world though, that world is fantastic! I've been consuming quite a bit of Nigerian content for a bit now and one of my favourite things is the beautiful mix of languages, and that comes across really strongly! Oh and that food, mmmm I got hungry while reading this for sure! Since it's also not mentioned at the start of the book (at least from what I can see/in my version), there is a glossery and language guide (for Pidgin English) in the back of the book next to the authors note! They're not massive, but I think they do a good enough job for anyone unfamiliar to any of it.
Though, I have no idea why it was set in 2025, it's a sci-fi but... a contempory sci-fi. Even though the book is a couple years old now, it's not that old aha..
The plot is a bit of an odd one, it feels like barely anything happens in this book, but at the same like too much is trying to be done. There's a whole tournament thing, a genetic mystery, character in-fighting, family drama and all sorts. Nothing really feels fleshed out too much (especially the tournament... why couldn't we have had more of that scene :'), and basically nothing is resolved by the end, it just opens up more questions.
I would still recommend it, but with a huge note of "this absolutely cannot be read on its own". I'm also super interested to learn more about the supposed movie that was meant to be being made. Not sure what happened to that, seems like it got announced in 2022 and then just.... never mentioned again sadly. Hopefully it's still in the works, it would make for a good film I think if done faithfully. Pacing would also fit a film much much better.
I really loved the world of this, and Onyeka herself was such a strong protagonist! Unfortunatly though I think there was maybe a couple too many characters, and the way the plot was spread out and ended needs a revise. I wouldn't call how it ended a cliffhanger, it just felt unfinished and like someone ripped out some pages from the back of my book. I thought there was a lot left in the version I had, but it was just a long authors note, acknowledgements, and then an excerpt of book 2... really hate when publishers do that.
Onyeka was just such a compelling main character. She was strong, yes, but it felt believeable and not a "chosen one" situation at all. She also really just felt like a kid, I'm not sure why people are giving negative reviews based on an "unrealistic home life" and not believing Onyeka would just not know anything but like... it happens all the time with divorced parents, abandoned kids, etc? Kids don't want to believe the worst, and the remaining parent often doesn't want to make the other parent out to be a villain or something so lies are often told and believed.
The other characters were a mix though, Hassan and Adanna were the main 2 side characters that stood out to me and were memorable and the rest kinda merged together or I just forgot about until they popped up like Cheyenne. I'd have loved to read more of Cheyenne but she popped up just so infrequently and kind of at random that she was more of a memory in the book than an actual character despite being such a massive part of the first part of the book (before Onyeka goes to Nigeria).
Oh the world though, that world is fantastic! I've been consuming quite a bit of Nigerian content for a bit now and one of my favourite things is the beautiful mix of languages, and that comes across really strongly! Oh and that food, mmmm I got hungry while reading this for sure! Since it's also not mentioned at the start of the book (at least from what I can see/in my version), there is a glossery and language guide (for Pidgin English) in the back of the book next to the authors note! They're not massive, but I think they do a good enough job for anyone unfamiliar to any of it.
Though, I have no idea why it was set in 2025, it's a sci-fi but... a contempory sci-fi. Even though the book is a couple years old now, it's not that old aha..
The plot is a bit of an odd one, it feels like barely anything happens in this book, but at the same like too much is trying to be done. There's a whole tournament thing, a genetic mystery, character in-fighting, family drama and all sorts. Nothing really feels fleshed out too much (especially the tournament... why couldn't we have had more of that scene :'), and basically nothing is resolved by the end, it just opens up more questions.
I would still recommend it, but with a huge note of "this absolutely cannot be read on its own". I'm also super interested to learn more about the supposed movie that was meant to be being made. Not sure what happened to that, seems like it got announced in 2022 and then just.... never mentioned again sadly. Hopefully it's still in the works, it would make for a good film I think if done faithfully. Pacing would also fit a film much much better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Racism, and Vomit
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Death, Blood, and Abandonment