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kb_the_gm's review
mysterious
slow-paced
5.0
I want to see what else Podos has put out because I absolutely adore her writing style. This is a book about challenging tradition and the "why", going against the grain of your family history and taking charge. The characters and supporting cast are queer teenagers and that's something I'm not used to seeing, but it makes me happy as a queer teen myself.
hellomadalyn's review
3.0
This review originally appeared on Novel Ink.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
From page one, The Wise and the Wicked swept me into a world of ancient Russian fairy tales, long-hidden family secrets, and a main character trying to make sense of the world and her place in it. The writing was immersive, the characters were interesting, but the main, glaring issue with this book that I was left feeling unsatisfied when I flipped the last page. All of the threads of a five-star book were there for me, but the ending felt so clumsy and harried that it truly affected my overall enjoyment and rating.
As far as characters go, I thought the Chernyavsky family and their complex dynamics were fascinating, if not explored to their full potential. Ruby, our main character, was a little forgettable, but overall easy to root for. Who doesn’t love an angsty teen with plenty of reason to be angsty? I loved Ruby’s sisters, Dahlia and Ginger, and I honestly wish the sister relationship played a larger part in the story. I much preferred their dynamic to Ruby’s dynamic with Cece, her cousin, who is the main secondary character in the story. It seems like Ruby only has negative things to say about Cece in her internal monologue (not all of them deserved), so I didn’t quite understand why Ruby seemed so… obsessed with her cousin? However, I did appreciate the queer rep Cece brought to the story, as it’s often harder to come out to people who you trust with your life than to casual acquaintances. Ruby’s mother and aunts and great aunts are all, for the most part, not great, to put it mildly. I liked the way the author was able to explore morality through these characters, but none of them got a true redemption arc– which, I guess, is somewhat realistic, but didn’t make for the most satisfying reading experience. I did love the Chernyavsky magic and the strong sense of family folklore. Stories about where you came from are part of every family, and I thought that was incorporated beautifully into this book.
Outside of the Chernyavsky family, there are seemingly endless side characters thrown into the story, but the standout was the love interest, Dov. His family, the Mahalels, end up playing a pretty large part in the plot, but what I liked best was Dov’s relationship with Ruby. This is a book that doesn’t focus too heavily on romance, but the romance that is present is definitely swoony. Also, I am a cis woman, so please take my thoughts with a heavy dose of salt, but I absolutely loved the trans rep in The Wise and the Wicked. (More trans love interests in YA, please!) It was such a pleasant surprise to see a trans character in a story that deals so heavily with the idea of inheriting gender-specific abilities and curses, but it makes so so much sense. I thought it was very well done.
With so many good things going for it, I fully expected this to be a new favorite. However, as the ending drew closer and closer, the plot resolutions started feeling more and more rushed. I’ll keep it spoiler-free in this review, but the *~big showdown~* was left pretty open, but I thought certainly we’d get more resolution by the end of the book. Not so. In fact, when I finished this book, I legitimately did a double take to make sure I hadn’t missed a chapter. The ending was THAT abrupt. Here’s the thing: contrary to the popular opinion in the online book community, I LOVE an open ending. However, what I can’t get on board with is an abrupt ending. This abrupt ending truly soured my entire reading experience with this book and left me both confused and unsatisfied. Just something I think everyone should know going into this story!
Overall, though The Wise and the Wicked did me dirty with the ending, I did truly love the story at the heart of this book. If you can deal with the abrupt ending, I’d still recommend picking it up! (Also, if you have read this– let’s please discuss the ending, because truly, wtf.)
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
From page one, The Wise and the Wicked swept me into a world of ancient Russian fairy tales, long-hidden family secrets, and a main character trying to make sense of the world and her place in it. The writing was immersive, the characters were interesting, but the main, glaring issue with this book that I was left feeling unsatisfied when I flipped the last page. All of the threads of a five-star book were there for me, but the ending felt so clumsy and harried that it truly affected my overall enjoyment and rating.
As far as characters go, I thought the Chernyavsky family and their complex dynamics were fascinating, if not explored to their full potential. Ruby, our main character, was a little forgettable, but overall easy to root for. Who doesn’t love an angsty teen with plenty of reason to be angsty? I loved Ruby’s sisters, Dahlia and Ginger, and I honestly wish the sister relationship played a larger part in the story. I much preferred their dynamic to Ruby’s dynamic with Cece, her cousin, who is the main secondary character in the story. It seems like Ruby only has negative things to say about Cece in her internal monologue (not all of them deserved), so I didn’t quite understand why Ruby seemed so… obsessed with her cousin? However, I did appreciate the queer rep Cece brought to the story, as it’s often harder to come out to people who you trust with your life than to casual acquaintances. Ruby’s mother and aunts and great aunts are all, for the most part, not great, to put it mildly. I liked the way the author was able to explore morality through these characters, but none of them got a true redemption arc– which, I guess, is somewhat realistic, but didn’t make for the most satisfying reading experience. I did love the Chernyavsky magic and the strong sense of family folklore. Stories about where you came from are part of every family, and I thought that was incorporated beautifully into this book.
Outside of the Chernyavsky family, there are seemingly endless side characters thrown into the story, but the standout was the love interest, Dov. His family, the Mahalels, end up playing a pretty large part in the plot, but what I liked best was Dov’s relationship with Ruby. This is a book that doesn’t focus too heavily on romance, but the romance that is present is definitely swoony. Also, I am a cis woman, so please take my thoughts with a heavy dose of salt, but I absolutely loved the trans rep in The Wise and the Wicked. (More trans love interests in YA, please!) It was such a pleasant surprise to see a trans character in a story that deals so heavily with the idea of inheriting gender-specific abilities and curses, but it makes so so much sense. I thought it was very well done.
With so many good things going for it, I fully expected this to be a new favorite. However, as the ending drew closer and closer, the plot resolutions started feeling more and more rushed. I’ll keep it spoiler-free in this review, but the *~big showdown~* was left pretty open, but I thought certainly we’d get more resolution by the end of the book. Not so. In fact, when I finished this book, I legitimately did a double take to make sure I hadn’t missed a chapter. The ending was THAT abrupt. Here’s the thing: contrary to the popular opinion in the online book community, I LOVE an open ending. However, what I can’t get on board with is an abrupt ending. This abrupt ending truly soured my entire reading experience with this book and left me both confused and unsatisfied. Just something I think everyone should know going into this story!
Overall, though The Wise and the Wicked did me dirty with the ending, I did truly love the story at the heart of this book. If you can deal with the abrupt ending, I’d still recommend picking it up! (Also, if you have read this– let’s please discuss the ending, because truly, wtf.)
nannersreads's review
3.0
I’m giving this a three, but after reading the ending, I almost gave it a two. I really enjoyed the representation in this book, BUT THE ENDING. I’m a fan of an open ending. I feel it definitely works sometimes, but this ending was so abrupt for a story that took a while to get going.
fallingletters's review
3.0
Review originally published 21 May 2019 at Falling Letters
On first glance, I might consider The Wise and the Wicked a read alike to a number of other YA novels I loved: [b: The Devouring Gray|36535913|The Devouring Gray|Christine Lynn Herman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1543850974s/36535913.jpg|58262762] (small town, families with powers and dark past), [b: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender|18166936|The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender|Leslye Walton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1397110326s/18166936.jpg|21445699] (immigrant family, generational story, fabulism), [b: The Weight of Feathers|20734002|The Weight of Feathers|Anna-Marie McLemore|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498056987s/20734002.jpg|40061982] (romance, muddled family feud). But in many ways, this book just didn’t click for me like those ones.
The prose style and characters’ behaviours are far more contemporary than I usually read. The fabulism aspects technically drive the plot but they felt more like a backdrop than the driving force of the story. I felt like there were gaps in the story that made it less compelling than it could have been. Snippets of fairy tales, family history, and a podcast are included throughout but I didn’t find them very interesting. (I don’t think the podcast was necessary, though I’m biased against podcasts to begin with.) I didn’t connect with any of the characters. While I don’t think there was anything particularly bad about this book (if i was trying to be objective, I might say the plot is a bit dry given its execution and the narrative style), this clearly wasn’t the right book for me.
To paraphrase the above in a more helpful way: If you prefer more fairy tale than contemporary, you can probably skip The Wise and the Wicked.
I didn’t know to expect queer rep so that was at least a pleasant surprise. (Can you tell this was my first Podos novel? :P) There are lesbian, bi, and trans characters. In some instances these identities are important to the narrative and in others they are incidental. Romantic relationships play a larger role than I expected. But, I did find the story became a bit more interesting when Dov started to play a larger role (he’s a nice kid).
The Bottom Line: While this book holds a lot of the appeal factors I look for in YA fiction, Podos doesn’t execute them in the style that I prefer. I imagine this story appealing to others who read and enjoy a broader range of YA novels than I do.
On first glance, I might consider The Wise and the Wicked a read alike to a number of other YA novels I loved: [b: The Devouring Gray|36535913|The Devouring Gray|Christine Lynn Herman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1543850974s/36535913.jpg|58262762] (small town, families with powers and dark past), [b: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender|18166936|The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender|Leslye Walton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1397110326s/18166936.jpg|21445699] (immigrant family, generational story, fabulism), [b: The Weight of Feathers|20734002|The Weight of Feathers|Anna-Marie McLemore|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498056987s/20734002.jpg|40061982] (romance, muddled family feud). But in many ways, this book just didn’t click for me like those ones.
The prose style and characters’ behaviours are far more contemporary than I usually read. The fabulism aspects technically drive the plot but they felt more like a backdrop than the driving force of the story. I felt like there were gaps in the story that made it less compelling than it could have been. Snippets of fairy tales, family history, and a podcast are included throughout but I didn’t find them very interesting. (I don’t think the podcast was necessary, though I’m biased against podcasts to begin with.) I didn’t connect with any of the characters. While I don’t think there was anything particularly bad about this book (if i was trying to be objective, I might say the plot is a bit dry given its execution and the narrative style), this clearly wasn’t the right book for me.
To paraphrase the above in a more helpful way: If you prefer more fairy tale than contemporary, you can probably skip The Wise and the Wicked.
I didn’t know to expect queer rep so that was at least a pleasant surprise. (Can you tell this was my first Podos novel? :P) There are lesbian, bi, and trans characters. In some instances these identities are important to the narrative and in others they are incidental. Romantic relationships play a larger role than I expected. But, I did find the story became a bit more interesting when Dov started to play a larger role (he’s a nice kid).
The Bottom Line: While this book holds a lot of the appeal factors I look for in YA fiction, Podos doesn’t execute them in the style that I prefer. I imagine this story appealing to others who read and enjoy a broader range of YA novels than I do.
bendit's review
2.0
russian/ folklore reimagined is absolutely my shit but this just didn't hit for me. it read like your typical ya contemporary thriller, the characters had interesting/diverse backgrounds but that doesn't make them interesting/diverse people. there were pacing issues and the plot could at times meander, it was unclear where the the story was going to take you for most of the book and then it ends on a cliffhanger. overall, I feel like this book really just dropped the ball on its setup and I was disappointed by it.
raeanne's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book for free from Fantastic Flying Book Club in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Ohhhhhhhhh boy. The Wise + the Wicked is like Anna-Marie McLemore meets Noami Novak in contemporary America with cell phones. Lead by a critical despondent broke-ass nihilist with sticky fingers.
Gods, did I love it. Check it out. Read a sample. Enter to win a copy. All below ⬇
What's Inside:
I loved it all right up until the last little bit. They're all honest flawed kids struggling with magic, history, and secrets. Adults, we really need to be thinking about what we claim to keep from kids "to protect them". More like make us uncomfortable...
The romances worked on so many levels for me. Too bad we couldn't see more of CeeCee + boo.
I didn't want to stop reading and couldn't wait to pick it up again. Curiostiy was killing. Much like Ruby and her podcast.
The ending & I did not mesh well. I'm with Ruby on this one...Which was the point of course. Like, I get it but it wasn't satisfying.
I think the kids couldn't done more during the fight and there'd be more possibilities if we knew more about this wide world.
Prize: Win a copy of THE WISE AND THE WICKED by Rebecca Podos (INT)
Start Date: 22nd May 2019
End Date: 5th June 2019
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This review was originally posted on The Layaway Dragon
Gods, did I love it. Check it out. Read a sample. Enter to win a copy. All below ⬇
About the wise + the wicked:
IMHO: the wise + the wicked
What's Inside:
- Feels like if Noami Novak wrote contemporary with queers + cell phones
- No dead naming!!!
- Honest ongoing consent talks
- Love how the magic worked with Dov. It's so easy to be trans* inclusive!!!
- D'awwww the cousin romance misunderstanding
- Ruby's family is working poor
- Technology included
- Ruby loves science and Carl Sagan
- Ruby is SO relatable. I love her.
- Love how fierce & direct Talia is
- Love CeeCee's bright style, optimism, and support
- Dov grew on me (that lunch tray scene bugged me, okay?) & adore them as a couple
- Cousin best friends
- Sisters raising sisters
I loved it all right up until the last little bit. They're all honest flawed kids struggling with magic, history, and secrets. Adults, we really need to be thinking about what we claim to keep from kids "to protect them". More like make us uncomfortable...
The romances worked on so many levels for me. Too bad we couldn't see more of CeeCee + boo.
I didn't want to stop reading and couldn't wait to pick it up again. Curiostiy was killing. Much like Ruby and her podcast.
The ending & I did not mesh well. I'm with Ruby on this one...Which was the point of course. Like, I get it but it wasn't satisfying.
I think the kids couldn't done more during the fight and there'd be more possibilities if we knew more about this wide world.
I think teens will like how it concludes more than us fuddy duddys. And as the days pass and I think about it more, I appreciate what Podos did here. I'm okay with not getting a sequel since it fits so well.
I'll def be watching for more from Podos. We need so much more of what she's serving up!
Read a sample with the first three chapters HERE! It includes two of my favorite quotes!
fav quotes from the wise + the wicked:
They welcomes them into this unextraordinary little house, listened to them, counseled them with the gif that remained to the Chernyavsky: the empathetic, righteous rage of women who knew what it meant to have everything taken away from them.
Her cousin's friends stopped all at once, a school of ish scared by the cry of the Common Loon.
Pearls form around a speck of grit to protect the oyster, and so to protect us from what we can't yet understand, stories grow around a grain of truth.
It wasn't really the having that made her feel powerful. It was the taking.
[...] if time is a prize you want to win, you must prepare to lose.
[Her sisters] believed they were safe as long as they were small, as if submission had ever really protected women.
About the Author:
Giveaway:
Prize: Win a copy of THE WISE AND THE WICKED by Rebecca Podos (INT)
Start Date: 22nd May 2019
End Date: 5th June 2019
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
This review was originally posted on The Layaway Dragon
amongthestars's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.0
atgerstner's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I really liked it and then it just sort of ended.
blakehalsey's review
5.0
I had the honor of getting an early read on this book and oh, oh, the world is going to love this beautiful story.
argrenier's review
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0