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whyjulain's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tarawagar's review against another edition
5.0
This book, number one of many, was amazing! I read it when I was in elementary school, and I was hooked. I really recommend this novel and the rest of the series!
queen_kitty's review against another edition
2.0
Wow. I feel bad rating this 2 stars but there were so many parts of this book that just didn’t sit right with me. I really liked the library and the puzzle-solving aspect (even though as an adult, it was very obvious to me, that didn’t hinder my enjoyment). The talking to animals thing was also very cute and I love when that happens in any fantasy book. I can even somewhat suspend belief and believe that grown adults decided to leave it up to a 12-year-old to solve their problems because it’s middle-grade and honestly most kids are smarter than adults anyways. However, I just thought this story had a very weird set-up. I didn’t understand the wall and what they were supposed to be keeping out and even the way Alexa discovers the convict situation was really confusing to me. Alexa wasn’t a bad MC, but I hated not knowing what was going on in her head most of the time and her decisions to trust or not trust certain characters felt random. I feel like we didn’t really get to know any of the characters enough to really feel anything for them, and yet the one character who was irredeemably obnoxious was somehow redeemed in Alexa’s eyes despite the fact that he was honestly pretty gross and also really immature despite his age? I felt like we didn’t get enough “magic” for this to really feel magical either which was disappointing. Overall, a disappointment, but I guess that means I can unhaul the second one.
jessiesmette's review against another edition
2.0
I’ve wanted to read this book since I first came upon it, however I didn’t feel the story lived up to the beautiful cover.
The main character is Alexa, who at 12 years old stands a little over 4 feet tall and longs to discover what is beyond the walls surrounding her town. Using clues left behind for her, Alexa discovers tunnels into the wilderness and befriends animals who reveal a plot to destroy her home.
The biggest problem I had with this book was that it was an information overload, without really telling me anything. There were so many names of locations and characters that I didn’t connect with any of them. Even at the end when a trusted character betrays Alexa, I didn’t feel like I knew either character enough for it to impact me.
While this book had some interesting concepts, it was very easy to put down and out of mind. I probably won’t read the sequel, but am intrigued to hear if the author is able to develop the characters and plot further.
The main character is Alexa, who at 12 years old stands a little over 4 feet tall and longs to discover what is beyond the walls surrounding her town. Using clues left behind for her, Alexa discovers tunnels into the wilderness and befriends animals who reveal a plot to destroy her home.
The biggest problem I had with this book was that it was an information overload, without really telling me anything. There were so many names of locations and characters that I didn’t connect with any of them. Even at the end when a trusted character betrays Alexa, I didn’t feel like I knew either character enough for it to impact me.
While this book had some interesting concepts, it was very easy to put down and out of mind. I probably won’t read the sequel, but am intrigued to hear if the author is able to develop the characters and plot further.
meemaw's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
melziereads's review against another edition
2.0
It was an okay book. As I have found with most of the children's books that I have been reading as of late it falls shot on coherence. It ended up leaving me confused and disappointed. It seemed to skip large parts in plot.
entamewitchlulu's review against another edition
2.0
I picked this one up for nostalgia, remembering enjoying it as a child. Unfortunately, unlike other childhood faves I've looked up again, this one was not so kindly treated by time.
While certainly a decent book for younger readers, as an adult, I saw the story start to fall apart. There were glaring inconsistencies, ridiculous coincidences, and in the end, the fact that it seemed that passed away characters KNEW who the big bad was the whole time and didn't do a thing about it until Alexa showed up seemed...really annoying. The magic in this world made little sense, and it felt like this was the kind of world where magic didn't even quite fit in, causing a jarring sense of things not fitting together.
It was unnecessarily complex in places and horribly simplistic in others, and I do not feel compelled to re-read the rest of the series this time.
While certainly a decent book for younger readers, as an adult, I saw the story start to fall apart. There were glaring inconsistencies, ridiculous coincidences, and in the end, the fact that it seemed that passed away characters KNEW who the big bad was the whole time and didn't do a thing about it until Alexa showed up seemed...really annoying. The magic in this world made little sense, and it felt like this was the kind of world where magic didn't even quite fit in, causing a jarring sense of things not fitting together.
It was unnecessarily complex in places and horribly simplistic in others, and I do not feel compelled to re-read the rest of the series this time.
read_with_riley's review against another edition
4.0
While The Dark Hills Divide was, admittedly, geared to a younger audience, I enjoyed the book and the morals it presented and just the fun feel of most of it.