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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
You know what, this wasn't half bad for a debut. Definitely YA though, I'm sorry. And the vibe is quite Rachel Gillig-ish.
From the world to the characters to the twists, none of this was particularly exciting to me. It needed that extra step to really shine - some rendering, if you will. The romance was dreadfully annoying as well. But I did like how the twist was done and the last 10% of the book was certainly it's highlight, meaning the pacing was quite poor. The whole middle section drags too much.
I'm not too mad at it though, I sense potential here. Michelle Wong could give us some solid work in a couple years I think.
From the world to the characters to the twists, none of this was particularly exciting to me. It needed that extra step to really shine - some rendering, if you will. The romance was dreadfully annoying as well. But I did like how the twist was done and the last 10% of the book was certainly it's highlight, meaning the pacing was quite poor. The whole middle section drags too much.
I'm not too mad at it though, I sense potential here. Michelle Wong could give us some solid work in a couple years I think.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed the world that was created in this work. I sensed the twist pretty early on, but the ending still caught me by surprise. I have a feeling I'll be thinking of this book for a long time to come.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Actually loved this. A lot darker and twisted than I thought it would be verging on a bit of horror but it was fantastic. A perfect fantasy standalone about a girl and her monster.
Visually stunning. The artwork throughout? Such a fantastic bonus. The writing was solid, too, but the pacing fell apart a little for me at the end for the sake of wrapping things up (i.e. sluggish in parts, rapid-fire in others) The one thing I haven’t really formed an opinion on was the twist. I would say for now: didn’t predict it in the beginning; kind of predicted it towards the end; didn’t mind it but felt like it was given no time to really develop once it occurred. That being said, I did enjoy the world Michelle created, and I would be very interested to see what other lore can be intertwined if there’s a sequel.
Thank you Harper Voyager for sending me a free finished copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Harper Voyager for sending me a free finished copy in exchange for an honest review.
4.75 rounded up.
Gothic horror-esque fantasy with romance!!! Desperate to save her gravely ill mother, the only parent she has known, Alma reaches out to her estranged father for help. Unbeknownst to her, she is the daughter of a member of the wealthy House Avera and the vessel of the feared Dread Beast. In this world, four houses are vessels for four gods and have access to their powers. Her father agrees to help her mom if she becomes a vessel for the beast. Out of desperation, she agrees, but soon regrets her decision when her father refuses to allow her to visit her mother and her mother dies alone. Furthermore, Alma was born as a result of an affair and is treated with disdain by the members of the House of Avera, growing up in solitude. Lonely and angry, she befriends a god-like boy who becomes her sole companion and promises to help her seek vengeance against her family.
This book was a beautiful read, yet fierce and gruesome. Wong did a fantastic job showcasing the brutality of manipulation, grooming, desperation, vengeance, and the hunger for power, while at the same time highlighting the human potential to overcome, grow, and the power of love.
My only critique is that I would have liked a bit more world-building. I couldn't tell what period we were in, and was curious about the rest of the year.
SPOILER: My favourite relationship - besides Alma and her monster- was between Alma and her cousin's fiancé. I find it difficult to read stories that pit women against one another. Still, this relationship demonstrated two women who grew together as things became clear and supported one another despite all that was against them. Alma and her monster's relationship was an accurate depiction of loving the villain. My heart truly hurts for the monster, and he is a victim of the hunger for power. The resolution was truly the perfect way to end this book.
Gothic horror-esque fantasy with romance!!! Desperate to save her gravely ill mother, the only parent she has known, Alma reaches out to her estranged father for help. Unbeknownst to her, she is the daughter of a member of the wealthy House Avera and the vessel of the feared Dread Beast. In this world, four houses are vessels for four gods and have access to their powers. Her father agrees to help her mom if she becomes a vessel for the beast. Out of desperation, she agrees, but soon regrets her decision when her father refuses to allow her to visit her mother and her mother dies alone. Furthermore, Alma was born as a result of an affair and is treated with disdain by the members of the House of Avera, growing up in solitude. Lonely and angry, she befriends a god-like boy who becomes her sole companion and promises to help her seek vengeance against her family.
This book was a beautiful read, yet fierce and gruesome. Wong did a fantastic job showcasing the brutality of manipulation, grooming, desperation, vengeance, and the hunger for power, while at the same time highlighting the human potential to overcome, grow, and the power of love.
My only critique is that I would have liked a bit more world-building. I couldn't tell what period we were in, and was curious about the rest of the year.
SPOILER: My favourite relationship - besides Alma and her monster- was between Alma and her cousin's fiancé. I find it difficult to read stories that pit women against one another. Still, this relationship demonstrated two women who grew together as things became clear and supported one another despite all that was against them. Alma and her monster's relationship was an accurate depiction of loving the villain. My heart truly hurts for the monster, and he is a victim of the hunger for power. The resolution was truly the perfect way to end this book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes