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knittingreader's review
Story felt disjointed with no real connection bewteen Syd and North
flyingsails's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really wish I'd read this straight through instead of being distracted by another book. I think it would have made all the difference and I could give it an honest four-star rating. I loved, loved, loved the beginning, but after the pause? I don't know.
glitterhobbit's review against another edition
1.0
This book was poorly written with little direction and insight with the characters. The story premise is interesting but in the end it isn't enough.
elenam3103's review against another edition
3.0
Actual Rating: 3.5
Ok, so, Brightly Woven had it's ups and downs. Overall, it was pretty good.
The plot was interesting, exciting, and creative. The whole concept was really cool. Quite a bit of YA books nowadays have repeating plots, but Alexandra Bracken knows how to write a different and captivating story! And the ending? Fabulous! I think the main reason for my rating is because of the plot. Yay!
Now, the pacing? Not so fabulous. It wasn't horrible, but at times I felt like Alexandra was going wayyyy to fast for the book. It was almost as if she didn't want to make any more of them so she decided to cram a series-worth of information and development into one 350 page book. And the ending? While I loved how it ended, the pacing was just awkward. It was like we were focusing too much on the smaller, unimportant aspects of the ending than on the important parts that needed some attention. I don't want to put any spoilers in here, but at the end she comes up with this solution to a problem, and we literally have like 2 sentences to take it in, but then we get like 3 pages of her walking around the crowds.
Ok, characters! My favorite part of reviews!!!! Ok, so the characterization wasn't that great. Once again, parts felt rushed and under explored. But on to the actual characters! I actually didn't like Syd at all, at first. She was so persistent and clingy and it was so frustrating to read about her the first 3/4 of the book. But in the last quarter, I fell in love with her character, as I feel like she matured immensely. ALRIGHT GUYS BUT NORTH, THOUGH! I ADORED him, then absolutely HATED him, then ADORED him once again! That right there is proof of a good plot/character. If you can make me hate my favorite character, like tremendously hate him, and then make me love him again, then that's a good sign because it means I'm attached and care about them. Even though the make-up happened way to rushed for my liking, I didn't mind in the end. The other characters in general were fairly good.
And...the romance. Ok, at times I was like *SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE* and then at others, I was cringing from cheesiness. You have to go into this prepared that you will be overwhelmed by adorableness and dying from cringe at the exact same time. This romance is cliche. And while I love a good cliche romance (hence the squees), at times it felt like the characters in this book were in a childish version of a soap opera.
Ok, so all in all, I would recommend it. While it's not the best book in the world, it's good for read when you need something short.
Ok, so, Brightly Woven had it's ups and downs. Overall, it was pretty good.
The plot was interesting, exciting, and creative. The whole concept was really cool. Quite a bit of YA books nowadays have repeating plots, but Alexandra Bracken knows how to write a different and captivating story! And the ending? Fabulous! I think the main reason for my rating is because of the plot. Yay!
Now, the pacing? Not so fabulous. It wasn't horrible, but at times I felt like Alexandra was going wayyyy to fast for the book. It was almost as if she didn't want to make any more of them so she decided to cram a series-worth of information and development into one 350 page book. And the ending? While I loved how it ended, the pacing was just awkward. It was like we were focusing too much on the smaller, unimportant aspects of the ending than on the important parts that needed some attention. I don't want to put any spoilers in here, but at the end she comes up with this solution to a problem, and we literally have like 2 sentences to take it in, but then we get like 3 pages of her walking around the crowds.
Ok, characters! My favorite part of reviews!!!! Ok, so the characterization wasn't that great. Once again, parts felt rushed and under explored. But on to the actual characters! I actually didn't like Syd at all, at first. She was so persistent and clingy and it was so frustrating to read about her the first 3/4 of the book. But in the last quarter, I fell in love with her character, as I feel like she matured immensely. ALRIGHT GUYS BUT NORTH, THOUGH! I ADORED him, then absolutely HATED him, then ADORED him once again! That right there is proof of a good plot/character. If you can make me hate my favorite character, like tremendously hate him, and then make me love him again, then that's a good sign because it means I'm attached and care about them. Even though the make-up happened way to rushed for my liking, I didn't mind in the end. The other characters in general were fairly good.
And...the romance. Ok, at times I was like *SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE* and then at others, I was cringing from cheesiness. You have to go into this prepared that you will be overwhelmed by adorableness and dying from cringe at the exact same time. This romance is cliche. And while I love a good cliche romance (hence the squees), at times it felt like the characters in this book were in a childish version of a soap opera.
Ok, so all in all, I would recommend it. While it's not the best book in the world, it's good for read when you need something short.
ghumpherys's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. This one caught my eye on the new book shelf at the library so I picked it up. It was an enjoyable and somewhat unique story involving magic and wizards but nothing totally spectacular.
slc333's review against another edition
2.0
After reading so many positive review I was expecting something better. I found it disjointed, particularly in the first half. Scenes seemed to jump around and commence abruptly with little or no lead in/explanation and I often felt like I had missed parts of the story. Also Sydelle was annoying and kind of dumb. I didn't understand her abrupt and sudden affection for North. He takes her from her home without her consent, and refuses to give her any information and she rails about it for a day or two then suddenly with no explanation she cares about him and refuses to leave him. And when she finds out he lied to her about EVERYTHING and bound her magic, and bound her to him - again without consent she is annoyed for 5 mins before forgiving him am wanting to stay with him forever. And North is no a great hero. He takes her in trade off her family for something he didn't even do, uses her blood without telling her, binds her again without telling her, takes her where she will be recognised and probably killed and never once gives her any information or choice about things that are integral to her being and survival. Also he insists on calling her Syd even though she repeatedly asks him not to. This is something I have noticed in a lot of books - the hero picks a "pet name"for the heroine and continues to use it even after she expressly says she doesn't like it. This is not "cute" behaviour. It expressly says I don't listen to you or care about you or your feelings.
joanna77_'s review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is super cute, but there’s not a lot to it and the world building is kind of confusing at some points! I actually prefer the graphic novel adaptation!
cheermio's review against another edition
5.0
It is terribly immature in writing with weird lapses in character development where the reader can see it but it is just so enthusiastic and earnest and I love it!
lorelei_reads's review against another edition
3.0
This book wasn't the best fantasy I've read all year - but I think it has potential, and it's not unusual for the first book in a series to need a little settling in. It was enjoyable on its own, and I'm interested enough to see how the next one feels.
saessenach's review against another edition
3.0
.
3.5 stars. it was a nice story. nothing throughly special, not exactly outstanding, but it was a fast read, and an easy one at that.
it's probably aimed at girls in their early teens, so that may be why i haven't enjoyed it all that much.
nonetheless, the story was engaging, the characters easy enough to imagine, what with their little details and characteristic elements. i believe i felt a whiff of Howl's Moving Castle, but it lacked its sophistication.
the pace was maybe too quick, it might have needed a better, stringer build-up, and the plot twists, if one can truly call them that were far too quick to either shock, or set in.
also,the characters, excepting the lovey-dovey leads in some situations (only some, not all), felt quite under-developed. i might have had a lot more fun if North's antics were a bit more elaborate, the concept of Owain's knightly sense of loyalty more deeply explained, Sydelle's anger and resentiment more fleshed out.
well, can't expect that from every book i read. especially not from YA. nevertheless, it doesnc't even come close to the worst I've seen of this genre, so I consider myself lucky. it was not bad, but all that brilliant either.
3.5 stars. it was a nice story. nothing throughly special, not exactly outstanding, but it was a fast read, and an easy one at that.
it's probably aimed at girls in their early teens, so that may be why i haven't enjoyed it all that much.
nonetheless, the story was engaging, the characters easy enough to imagine, what with their little details and characteristic elements. i believe i felt a whiff of Howl's Moving Castle, but it lacked its sophistication.
the pace was maybe too quick, it might have needed a better, stringer build-up, and the plot twists, if one can truly call them that were far too quick to either shock, or set in.
also,the characters, excepting the lovey-dovey leads in some situations (only some, not all), felt quite under-developed. i might have had a lot more fun if North's antics were a bit more elaborate, the concept of Owain's knightly sense of loyalty more deeply explained, Sydelle's anger and resentiment more fleshed out.
well, can't expect that from every book i read. especially not from YA. nevertheless, it doesnc't even come close to the worst I've seen of this genre, so I consider myself lucky. it was not bad, but all that brilliant either.