gossamer_lens's Reviews (1.48k)

I simply... finished it? 

I rarely read books that feel so unfun with no real point to them. Is it a book? Yes. Is it badly written? No. Did it feel like something someone was itching to write? No. Did it feel like something anyone should read? No. Did I finish it? Yes. 

It was an okay book, but considering it feels like the only point was to really be a character study of two people, I found it lacking. The characters feel flat, uninspiring, and like they cannot decide who they are, and more importantly like neither can Flynn. 

The whole book also read like a mid-2000's feminists romanticization of #girlboss if the girl boss was deeply entrenched in internalized misogyny. I thought the characters were supposed to just be deeply misogynist, and they were. But how everyone interacted with them was also weirdly misogynist, so the whole book was just steeped in it instead of it being, what I think it was supposed to be, a show of the character's flaws. 

It was better than the first hour of reading Where the Crawdad's Sing though. At least more intruguing. So I gave it a read and it was okay.

Very much read like something written on Wattpad. That said, the concept is fun. It is just not well executed. Considering the author is trying to make a critic on treating others badly, it falls a little flat when there is a very real and actual difference between those in power and those not in power. Do I agree with how those in power act? No. But it makes it a little hard to dismiss their claim to power. That said, I'm all for freedom, but the "daring" freedom leader never has actionable plans just cries for freedom and justice as if that is clear demand to make of the government. I'm also not sure how anyone could like, much less love, each other in this book... but sure. Teens fall in love. And it is a bit unclear as to why most people act as they do. But that said, Aveyard does a good job with making the violence and cruelty clear and the concept of what makes people different is interesting even if not as thought out and well written as I would hope for. 

I am hoping into the next book as I'm interested to see what happens, hope Aveyard can show a little better writing and world-building in the next book, and book 2 is readily available on Libby right now. If Ariadne by Jennifer Saint was already available I would take a break and read that and then who knows if I'd get to book 2. But here we are!

I have heard some rave reviews of this book and it became available all of a sudden on my library's Libby app so I picked it up. Man... almost an hour in and I just have no interest. The writing style sounds like someone trying to sound like Charles Dickens but failing so badly. The author's focus (Owens brought it up on multiple separate occasions in just what I read) between the difference between a marsh and a swamp felt elitist somehow... just weird and over-the-top. But the biggest turn-off was the clear "blackcent" writing that was being used to convey the characters are poor, uneducated, and black... and then the author couldn't for the life of her call anyone black. She just kept writing "tanned skin". 

Idk, feels like an old white woman trying too hard to sound like a superior writer while failing and being unable to authentically and respectfully write her black characters.

Overall it was an enjoyable and intriguing listen. I wanted to read this when I was younger and never got to it. The tale of a young boy training to gain his courage is fun and light. I think this story would be a fun and quick introduction for young readers to the pacific islanders. I do think it is solidly of its times as the only characters mentioned as being black are called "man-eaters". But that is overt enough I think it could lend itself to an insightful discussion with young readers about how books are products of their times and how culture has evolved and how just because something is written doesn't make it right or good.