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ninetalevixen 's review for:
The Astrologer's Daughter
by Rebecca Lim
I went into this without any real expectations and found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Keeping an open mind was really important: although astrology plays a significant part in the narrative, you don't have to believe in it yourself to hope that Avicenna finds her mother (through whatever works), or connect emotionally with Simon. The characters are likable enough, though I do wish they were a little more developed. By which I mean they all had complex backstories, but I didn't get as strong of an impression of their distinct personalities and motives (beyond the obvious). It's not that they're flat or unrelatable, but personally I didn't find them very memorable apart from Avicenna's name.
One thing that threw me off a little bit is that for some reason I thought this was a historical setting? I don't think there are any misleading contextual details, maybe at this point I just think of mysteries as historical since those are the ones I tend to read ... whatever the reason, the first mention of Words With Friends totally threw me for a loop. (I can't recall now if cars and cell phones are first mentioned before or after that startlingly modern detail, though I suspect it's before and my brain just didn't connect the dots.) But it really wasn't a huge adjustment, and the narrative does fit into the modern setting.
Most of the major developments were ones that I saw coming, but their execution was still suspenseful — my heart was literally pounding when I got to the story's climax — and therefore still satisfying. I really appreciated Avicenna's respect for the authorities; although she does have some of that teenage "I know my mother and her work best, I don't want to fully leave the investigation in their hands" she doesn't immediately decide that they don't stand a chance ... and she does call for backup (whether it's Wurbik, her police "liaison," or her classmate / rival Simon) when she doesn't feel safe or needs someone to talk to, which is a level of maturity many YA protagonists lack.
So although I wouldn't consider this a favorite, it's definitely an engaging read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to those who are interested in mystery and astrology.
content warnings:
rep:
One thing that threw me off a little bit is that for some reason I thought this was a historical setting? I don't think there are any misleading contextual details, maybe at this point I just think of mysteries as historical since those are the ones I tend to read ... whatever the reason, the first mention of Words With Friends totally threw me for a loop. (I can't recall now if cars and cell phones are first mentioned before or after that startlingly modern detail, though I suspect it's before and my brain just didn't connect the dots.) But it really wasn't a huge adjustment, and the narrative does fit into the modern setting.
Most of the major developments were ones that I saw coming, but their execution was still suspenseful — my heart was literally pounding when I got to the story's climax — and therefore still satisfying. I really appreciated Avicenna's respect for the authorities; although she does have some of that teenage "I know my mother and her work best, I don't want to fully leave the investigation in their hands" she doesn't immediately decide that they don't stand a chance ... and she does call for backup (whether it's Wurbik, her police "liaison," or her classmate / rival Simon) when she doesn't feel safe or needs someone to talk to, which is a level of maturity many YA protagonists lack.
So although I wouldn't consider this a favorite, it's definitely an engaging read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to those who are interested in mystery and astrology.
content warnings:
Spoiler
racism, ableism, mentions of rape and murder, mentioned physical abuse, mentioned drug abuse, parent on life supportrep: