Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Девушка, которая упала в море by Акси О, Axie Oh

5 reviews

bree_h_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

I was really looking forward to this book and what story it could tell. And it had a pretty strong start to backup this hope. Unfortunately it fell a bit short by the halfway point.

As mentioned the start was pretty strong. I felt like it established action and motivation really well. Not to mention a strong setting of scene and tone. I thought Mina losing her voice was really interesting and I liked how it changed her communication and how others understood her. I also thought the introduction to the main cast was interesting and got me interested in them.

But once Mina got her voice back I just felt like the book took a dip in quality. The feeling of inconsistency in Mina’s character seemed highlighted and relationships with other characters felt rushed. It felt like it was trying to mimic ACOTAR, but wasn’t executed very well. Not to mention the grossness around a romance between a 16-year-old minor and an ancient immortal. It’s not realistic, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth in regards to the love interest. By the end it really just felt like the book was a checklist of tropes.

Overall it wasn’t super great, but I think people that like ACOTAR might enjoy it more than me.

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emmieanna's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I run a YA bookclub and this was a book that they chose almost unanimously to read next. What a beautifully written, folktale infused story with so much heart.

I have wanted to read this book for a long time and it has sat on my shelf for almost a year. The descriptions are so lyrical and vivid and Axie really made me believe in Mina’s story. The only thing stopping me from giving the full 5 stars is the fact I wish it were a duology. I want to know more about this world and Mina’s aspirations, as well as perhaps Shin’s POV and more internal struggle from both of the characters. A lot of the time they changed their minds rather quickly and the plot is so fast paced that we don’t have time to dwell on details. 

Overall, I could not recommend this book enough. It is a gorgeous folklore fantasy that has strong Ghibli and fairytale threads.

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brassmonkey's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.75

What if Spirited Away was bad?

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wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Oof.

While I agree that the premise is reminiscent of the movie Spirited Away and Uprooted by Naomi Novik (two things I enjoyed thoroughly), it was very much written for a YA audience.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing.  I think the main difference between YA classics and contemporary YA is that the classics are written to be understood by younger audiences but will still have a broader appeal.

At the end of the day, this one missed that mark for me.  It was very much full of emo, cringey moments, insta-lovey when I could have sworn they were initially portrayed as enemies.  The pacing was bizarre and very jarring (which could be attributed to a dream-like quality, if I was being generous).  Situations were convenient when needed to be, and I often had to suspend my disbelief to continue reading.  Lastly, the characters were lacking development and the repetition got old (referring to all of the grandmother's grandmother bits, and so many sentences starting with "But").

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spookily's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5


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