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aj_king's review
adventurous
inspiring
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Bullying
tinyelfarcanist's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I’m not a fan of MG and I believe this played hugely into my enjoyment of it. This probably shows this was more of a me problem rather than the book itself. Having said that, it wasn’t without its flaws.
• Condescending teachers.
• Fatphobia with a character named Joshua, who’s smelly and gross and all he thinks and talks about is food. And while Josh is friendly, the other overweight character is a bully.
• Some teenager with bursting pimples is called “Juice”.
• One boy is insinuated to be gay because he’s always seen with girls.
Teenagers are already insecure enough to be taught that having acne or being fat is enough reason for people to talk about them behind their backs to say how disgusting they are.
Even when I haven’t read enough MG, the tropes were undeniable and they weren’t done in an original manner, making it very derivative.
It also could have been shorter. It caught my attention only after the halfway mark. It felt longer than it actually is, and it could be a problem to catch the attention of younger readers. Fortunately, the audiobook was more lively with the narrator portraying different voices and accents. Though I can’t comment on the accuracy of the accents, I enjoyed the narration, otherwise, I would’ve DNF.
I think the story would work fine as a TV series. Of course, after dealing with all the problematic stuff.
• Condescending teachers.
• Fatphobia with a character named Joshua, who’s smelly and gross and all he thinks and talks about is food. And while Josh is friendly, the other overweight character is a bully.
• Some teenager with bursting pimples is called “Juice”.
• One boy is insinuated to be gay because he’s always seen with girls.
Teenagers are already insecure enough to be taught that having acne or being fat is enough reason for people to talk about them behind their backs to say how disgusting they are.
Even when I haven’t read enough MG, the tropes were undeniable and they weren’t done in an original manner, making it very derivative.
It also could have been shorter. It caught my attention only after the halfway mark. It felt longer than it actually is, and it could be a problem to catch the attention of younger readers. Fortunately, the audiobook was more lively with the narrator portraying different voices and accents. Though I can’t comment on the accuracy of the accents, I enjoyed the narration, otherwise, I would’ve DNF.
I think the story would work fine as a TV series. Of course, after dealing with all the problematic stuff.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Fatphobia
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Bullying, Violence, and Homophobia
Minor: Murder and Injury/Injury detail
readingelli's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Vomit
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Violence
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