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typedtruths 's review for:
Falls the Shadow
by Stefanie Gaither
If I were a publicist I would be pitching this book as [b:Reboot|13517455|Reboot (Reboot, #1)|Amy Tintera|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1350931774s/13517455.jpg|19075624] meets [b:Flawed|23438288|Flawed (Flawed, #1)|Cecelia Ahern|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1433842801s/23438288.jpg|43002885]. There are so many similar elements between the three of them (which I don’t mean as a bad thing) that I think they’ll all appeal to the same type of reader… which unfortunately is just not me. Most of the problems I had with those two books, I also had with Falls the Shadow. While this story promises a fascinating exploration into some very hot topics - genetic engineering and cloning - it was ultimately dull and forgettable.
I think it was a mix of unmoving characters and a meandering plotline that made it so hard for me to get into the story. Cate and Jaxon were fine characters but they didn’t really set themselves apart from the other protagonists in the genre. Cate had some hidden badassery - as usual - but she was so meh most of the story that I never really connected to her. Her relationship with Jaxon was sweet, I guess, but their rocky start really put a damper on their development, in my opinion, and it was hard to ship them when I was so busy being suspicion of Jaxon’s loyalties. I think my favourite character was definitely Seth - for the comic relief he provided and his sensibility in not trusting anyone (unlike his ‘brother’). I’m so excited he’ll be more of a focus in the sequel!
While I appreciate that the book didn’t shy away from the nitty-gritty details associated with such a controversial topic like cloning, and didn’t censor the hardship Cate would realistically have had to face, I think having Cate debate the ethicality of the topic in lengthy, internal monologues was a bit too much times. Yes, it was vital for the development of her character to go through these ideas and decide what she believed in but they were often so goddamn long-winded that they became a little detrimental to the overall story. I also was not a fan of how her naivety of the true nature of the corporations and generally the world outside her mansion was used to limit our knowledge of the situation. I wanted more information about the history of this society so I could understand her parents’ decision to have her and her sister cloned more thoroughly.
The plotline was definitely another sore spot for me. Like I said, the majority of this book actually consists of Cate’s internal monologues. There is some action and when there was, it was generally rather well-written but I think the overall storyline was just a little unmotivated. I could never quite understand why Cate was making the decisions she was making - like leaving the city - but I think that comes down the vagueness of the world-building. We know that two corporations were fighting over having Cate and Violet as their puppets but I would have like their motives to be a little more transparent. I still don’t understand what exactly everyone fighting over and attacking each other for. I’m hoping that there will be something more definitive in the sequel…?
Overall?
I thought Falls the Shadow had a great premise and provided some great discussion points/food for thought about a relevant and contemporary issue. The characterisation and worldbuilding, however, were underdeveloped and somehow strangely vague. I never concretely knew exactly what was going on so I found it hard to form a connection to the characters. Cate and Jaxon’s relationship was sweet but started on some rocky formations so I found it hard to jump aboard that ship. I’m interested to see what the sequel will add to this series though and I will definitely be picking it up as soon as I can.
Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.
I think it was a mix of unmoving characters and a meandering plotline that made it so hard for me to get into the story. Cate and Jaxon were fine characters but they didn’t really set themselves apart from the other protagonists in the genre. Cate had some hidden badassery - as usual - but she was so meh most of the story that I never really connected to her. Her relationship with Jaxon was sweet, I guess, but their rocky start really put a damper on their development, in my opinion, and it was hard to ship them when I was so busy being suspicion of Jaxon’s loyalties. I think my favourite character was definitely Seth - for the comic relief he provided and his sensibility in not trusting anyone (unlike his ‘brother’). I’m so excited he’ll be more of a focus in the sequel!
While I appreciate that the book didn’t shy away from the nitty-gritty details associated with such a controversial topic like cloning, and didn’t censor the hardship Cate would realistically have had to face, I think having Cate debate the ethicality of the topic in lengthy, internal monologues was a bit too much times. Yes, it was vital for the development of her character to go through these ideas and decide what she believed in but they were often so goddamn long-winded that they became a little detrimental to the overall story. I also was not a fan of how her naivety of the true nature of the corporations and generally the world outside her mansion was used to limit our knowledge of the situation. I wanted more information about the history of this society so I could understand her parents’ decision to have her and her sister cloned more thoroughly.
The plotline was definitely another sore spot for me. Like I said, the majority of this book actually consists of Cate’s internal monologues. There is some action and when there was, it was generally rather well-written but I think the overall storyline was just a little unmotivated. I could never quite understand why Cate was making the decisions she was making - like leaving the city - but I think that comes down the vagueness of the world-building. We know that two corporations were fighting over having Cate and Violet as their puppets but I would have like their motives to be a little more transparent. I still don’t understand what exactly everyone fighting over and attacking each other for. I’m hoping that there will be something more definitive in the sequel…?
Overall?
I thought Falls the Shadow had a great premise and provided some great discussion points/food for thought about a relevant and contemporary issue. The characterisation and worldbuilding, however, were underdeveloped and somehow strangely vague. I never concretely knew exactly what was going on so I found it hard to form a connection to the characters. Cate and Jaxon’s relationship was sweet but started on some rocky formations so I found it hard to jump aboard that ship. I’m interested to see what the sequel will add to this series though and I will definitely be picking it up as soon as I can.
Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.