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ericadawson's review
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Ruined was a more enjoyable read than I anticipated.
In terms of voice and prose, it left much to be desired. Sometimes a word would be repeated two to four times within the span of a paragraph, making it sound repetitive. It was also more plain than I prefer in writing. On the flip side, the straightforwardness dialogue-heavy aspects of the prose made the book read quite smoothly, even if at times it felt bland. I actually quite enjoyed the dialogue.
The characterization was by far my favorite aspect of Ruined. Cas and Em both had their flaws, and they were center stage throughout the story. At the same time, they didn't quickly dip into shameless instalove the way some enemies-to-lovers/forbidden romance stories do. Both Cas and Em express confusion and guilt at their feelings for one another, which I liked to see. With Cas especially, I'm glad that he'd already been questioning the treatment of the Ruined and more or less came to the conclusion that Lera was in the wrong before he even met Em. So many times, a story like this will entwine the romance with the realization that the "enemy" is actually people, too. The way Tintera writes Cas, his moral shift is centered on him, not justified by his attraction to a Ruined person.
I like how mature the characters seemed as well, despite generally being teenagers. Em was emotional without being melodramatic. While people underestimated one another and got into arguments, they didn't go about it in a way that felt unnatural. I liked that they were able to openly talk about sex, rather than dancing around the subject in prudish and convoluted ways.
I liked the plot concept, and I liked that the politics were multi-layered but still simple. I do have some gripes, like Cas putting the potential threat of Ruined violence on the same level of violence actually committed by his father. His argument didn't make sense to me, and felt a bit contradictory to when he'd told his father that fears weren't enough for violence. Otherwise, I liked this book.
In terms of voice and prose, it left much to be desired. Sometimes a word would be repeated two to four times within the span of a paragraph, making it sound repetitive. It was also more plain than I prefer in writing. On the flip side, the straightforwardness dialogue-heavy aspects of the prose made the book read quite smoothly, even if at times it felt bland. I actually quite enjoyed the dialogue.
The characterization was by far my favorite aspect of Ruined. Cas and Em both had their flaws, and they were center stage throughout the story. At the same time, they didn't quickly dip into shameless instalove the way some enemies-to-lovers/forbidden romance stories do. Both Cas and Em express confusion and guilt at their feelings for one another, which I liked to see. With Cas especially, I'm glad that he'd already been questioning the treatment of the Ruined and more or less came to the conclusion that Lera was in the wrong before he even met Em. So many times, a story like this will entwine the romance with the realization that the "enemy" is actually people, too. The way Tintera writes Cas, his moral shift is centered on him, not justified by his attraction to a Ruined person.
I like how mature the characters seemed as well, despite generally being teenagers. Em was emotional without being melodramatic. While people underestimated one another and got into arguments, they didn't go about it in a way that felt unnatural. I liked that they were able to openly talk about sex, rather than dancing around the subject in prudish and convoluted ways.
I liked the plot concept, and I liked that the politics were multi-layered but still simple. I do have some gripes, like Cas putting the potential threat of Ruined violence on the same level of violence actually committed by his father. His argument didn't make sense to me, and felt a bit contradictory to when he'd told his father that fears weren't enough for violence. Otherwise, I liked this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Blood
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