Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
maddihunt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
4.75
semurr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-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? Complicated
4.75
brittanyrichm's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely have fallen for this book! I love all of her work and she definitely did not disappoint. The whole premise of the book was so intriguing. It was different and I really liked that starting off. I loved the adventure, the characters, and the twists that occur. It felt like the pacing was great and really allowed me to get a feel of this place! I could feel for Delta in a multitude of ways and I wish I could have more of her!
5/5 stars! Totally recommend!
5/5 stars! Totally recommend!
sarabearian's review against another edition
Had a blast in this postapocalyptic Western mashup - gritty, action-packed, very Mad Max-esque. Definitely a fresh take in the worn YA dystopian genre! -Lauryn P.
fihli's review against another edition
4 stars
Dustborn was a tense and captivating read which didn’t realise its full potential.
The plot was well paced but could have done with less filler – although any time the story started to drag it picked up its pace again almost immediately. It makes sense to me that other readers found the first half too slow paced because of the filler as it mostly consisted of Delta trying to escape and getting caught immediately over and over again.
On the other hand, I didn’t feel like the plot got significantly faster in the second half – as I said in the beginning, I found it to be quite tense throughout regardless, so I didn’t mind. Anyways, instead of these scenes I think that the ending could have been longer, as it felt quite rushed and anti-climactic. No big betrayal at the end? No struggle at all? Just walking in? K.Maybe I’m overexaggerating a bit, but my point stands.
The other big issue that reviewers had with the book where the characters, which I actually likedlet’s be real, at the end I only cared about whether Reed would make it or not. Bowman definitely toes the line between making her characters morally grey and simply inconsistent to the point of them almost displaying bipolar tendencies – looking at you, Asher. I also felt that there was an opportunity wasted with Bay being absent for most of the book because Deltas dynamic with her was quite interesting. No, instead when Delta got reunited with her at the end she just felt this motherly love with her out of nowhere and it really wasn’t earned.
Also, I found the one instance of animal cruelty a bit upsetting, because it was completely unnecessaryand comitted by the main character as well, so you should be aware if that is something that bothers you.
Another issue I had with the book was the world-building. The setting is really interesting and I wish it had been elaborated on instead of focussing for example on the angsty -but admittedly also sweet – romance.
All of this is me nitpicking though, as I really enjoyed the story. Dustborn does a lot right. An interesting setting, a decently paced plot and sympathetic characters make for a tense and enjoyable read.
Dustborn was a tense and captivating read which didn’t realise its full potential.
The plot was well paced but could have done with less filler – although any time the story started to drag it picked up its pace again almost immediately
Spoiler
like when Delta didn’t understand that her pack’s water had been tampered with which was the reason why they didn’t want to flee. At that point I thought that I would be done with the book, because I can’t stand obtuse YA main characters. Instead, she caught on reasonably quickly and the story moved onOn the other hand, I didn’t feel like the plot got significantly faster in the second half – as I said in the beginning, I found it to be quite tense throughout regardless, so I didn’t mind. Anyways, instead of these scenes I think that the ending could have been longer, as it felt quite rushed and anti-climactic. No big betrayal at the end? No struggle at all? Just walking in? K.
The other big issue that reviewers had with the book where the characters, which I actually liked
Also, I found the one instance of animal cruelty a bit upsetting, because it was completely unnecessary
Another issue I had with the book was the world-building. The setting is really interesting and I wish it had been elaborated on instead of focussing for example on the angsty -but admittedly also sweet – romance.
All of this is me nitpicking though, as I really enjoyed the story. Dustborn does a lot right. An interesting setting, a decently paced plot and sympathetic characters make for a tense and enjoyable read.
r_happe's review against another edition
3.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book felt like Contagion meets Blood Red Road and I liked it!
This world was definitely something that I tried numerous times to wrap my head around, thought that I had it figured out, and then was proven to be incorrect. The plot twist reveal wasn't exactly out of the blue but there were numerous details that took me by surprise and helped make the book all the more interesting.
I did feel some distance between myself and the characters a s found myself thinking that they would be a bit two-dimensional at times. Delta was very loyal to her lack and I admitted her adaptability, dedication, and ingenuity, but I also felt a disconnect with her emotions and vulnerabilities. I didn't feel her grief like I thought I would at some scenes, and never really felt any strong emotions from her at all now that I think of it.
The plot was fairly fast-paced and I'm glad that this was a standalone instead of being stretched into a duology or trilogy. There were lots of smaller conflicts that helped keep me interested while building up into the larger conflict. I liked the blend of sci-fi, politics, dystopia, western, and romance.
Overall this book was good. It incorporates many different genres and themes which was fun to see. The setting was really cool and I felt a lot of the conflict and struggle through the descriptions of the setting alone. The characters felt pretty flat and the plot was complex enough to keep me interested but not enough to give me that "I need to reread that, what just happened" moment.
This book felt like Contagion meets Blood Red Road and I liked it!
This world was definitely something that I tried numerous times to wrap my head around, thought that I had it figured out, and then was proven to be incorrect. The plot twist reveal wasn't exactly out of the blue but there were numerous details that took me by surprise and helped make the book all the more interesting.
I did feel some distance between myself and the characters a s found myself thinking that they would be a bit two-dimensional at times. Delta was very loyal to her lack and I admitted her adaptability, dedication, and ingenuity, but I also felt a disconnect with her emotions and vulnerabilities. I didn't feel her grief like I thought I would at some scenes, and never really felt any strong emotions from her at all now that I think of it.
The plot was fairly fast-paced and I'm glad that this was a standalone instead of being stretched into a duology or trilogy. There were lots of smaller conflicts that helped keep me interested while building up into the larger conflict. I liked the blend of sci-fi, politics, dystopia, western, and romance.
Overall this book was good. It incorporates many different genres and themes which was fun to see. The setting was really cool and I felt a lot of the conflict and struggle through the descriptions of the setting alone. The characters felt pretty flat and the plot was complex enough to keep me interested but not enough to give me that "I need to reread that, what just happened" moment.
thebookishmutant's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and HMH Books for Young Readers for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Goodreads synopsis describes this novel as a mashup of Mad Max and Gunslinger Girl, and even though I’ve never seen/read either of those, I definitely see where the vibe comes from. Dustborn is a tense and twisty dystopian novel, with notes of classic Westerns.
First, CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW PRETTY THIS COVER IS? The color scheme. The art. The typeface. THE REY VIBES. Even though this definitely wasn’t my favorite novel, I wouldn’t say no to a poster of this for my room.
Now…[ahem] I should probably talk about the book now, shouldn’t I?
Let’s start off with Delta. I wasn’t a huge fan of her character–she was that classic, dystopian teenager who’s been hardened by all of the horrific things she’s seen and done, and has built up this impenetrably tough skin as a result. She’s closed off, and she thinks she knows everything, even though she’s…what, 17? I get it, living as a semi-nomad in a barren wasteland does some nasty stuff to the brain, but it didn’t make for a very likable character. It did, however, make her a nice guinea pig for some well-needed character development. Plus, that kind of character is the perfect kind of character to interact with a baby…because she KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT CHILDREN, AND IT’S HILARIOUS.
As far as the other characters went, I wasn’t super attached to any of them. I felt ambivalent about most of them–I didn’t hate anybody, but I didn’t want to die for anybody, either. Delta and Asher’s friends-to-lovers dynamic was cute, even though the romance felt a bit like it was needlessly shoehorned in there to appease the Teenage™️ audience, but it wasn’t egregiously bad, or anything.
The plot itself was easily the most enjoyable part of the novel for me. Filled with rich imagery and no shortage of fascinating plot twists, Dustborn definitely kept me guessing in the best ways. Still not my ideal novel, but Bowman is the master of tense sci-fi, where it be in a lifeless wasteland (this one) or on an alien planet with the dangers of a deadly virus (Contagion). I liked the latter better (even though book 2 wasn’t as good), but this was still entertaining.
Overall, a bleak dystopia that was lacking in likable characters, but made up for it with its imagery and plot twists. 3 stars!
The Goodreads synopsis describes this novel as a mashup of Mad Max and Gunslinger Girl, and even though I’ve never seen/read either of those, I definitely see where the vibe comes from. Dustborn is a tense and twisty dystopian novel, with notes of classic Westerns.
First, CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW PRETTY THIS COVER IS? The color scheme. The art. The typeface. THE REY VIBES. Even though this definitely wasn’t my favorite novel, I wouldn’t say no to a poster of this for my room.
Now…[ahem] I should probably talk about the book now, shouldn’t I?
Let’s start off with Delta. I wasn’t a huge fan of her character–she was that classic, dystopian teenager who’s been hardened by all of the horrific things she’s seen and done, and has built up this impenetrably tough skin as a result. She’s closed off, and she thinks she knows everything, even though she’s…what, 17? I get it, living as a semi-nomad in a barren wasteland does some nasty stuff to the brain, but it didn’t make for a very likable character. It did, however, make her a nice guinea pig for some well-needed character development. Plus, that kind of character is the perfect kind of character to interact with a baby…because she KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT CHILDREN, AND IT’S HILARIOUS.
As far as the other characters went, I wasn’t super attached to any of them. I felt ambivalent about most of them–I didn’t hate anybody, but I didn’t want to die for anybody, either. Delta and Asher’s friends-to-lovers dynamic was cute, even though the romance felt a bit like it was needlessly shoehorned in there to appease the Teenage™️ audience, but it wasn’t egregiously bad, or anything.
The plot itself was easily the most enjoyable part of the novel for me. Filled with rich imagery and no shortage of fascinating plot twists, Dustborn definitely kept me guessing in the best ways. Still not my ideal novel, but Bowman is the master of tense sci-fi, where it be in a lifeless wasteland (this one) or on an alien planet with the dangers of a deadly virus (Contagion). I liked the latter better (even though book 2 wasn’t as good), but this was still entertaining.
Overall, a bleak dystopia that was lacking in likable characters, but made up for it with its imagery and plot twists. 3 stars!
cairn_tkd's review against another edition
4.0
If there is one word to summarize this book, it would be unexpected.
I'm not amazing at in-depth book reviews, but I will try my best.
First off, the world building was insanely well done. I dislike when books drop a lot of information about the world and expect readers to remember every detail. Not this book. The author was very careful to only explain things when it was about to become immediately relevant to the story. I know it's the bare minimum, but it was really well done.
Secondly, the plot was FANTASTIC! Each scene was so well-developed that I was never bored, even if the scene was just establishing. The plot twists were set up so that it was unexpected but not completely illogical (because some authors think that's required??)
But there is one reason I'm not giving it five stars. The characters and their interactions. Delta, I would say, is the one exception to this upcoming rant, but she's also the main character. These characters are FLAT. Even though they could be incredibly interesting. Asher? Reed? The Prime? Harlie? Literally any character that's on the page for more than a chapter needed WAYYY more development. Because of how flat the characters were, the spoken dialogue was pretty dull at times as well.
I'm not amazing at in-depth book reviews, but I will try my best.
First off, the world building was insanely well done. I dislike when books drop a lot of information about the world and expect readers to remember every detail. Not this book. The author was very careful to only explain things when it was about to become immediately relevant to the story. I know it's the bare minimum, but it was really well done.
Secondly, the plot was FANTASTIC! Each scene was so well-developed that I was never bored, even if the scene was just establishing. The plot twists were set up so that it was unexpected but not completely illogical (because some authors think that's required??)
But there is one reason I'm not giving it five stars. The characters and their interactions. Delta, I would say, is the one exception to this upcoming rant, but she's also the main character. These characters are FLAT. Even though they could be incredibly interesting. Asher? Reed? The Prime? Harlie? Literally any character that's on the page for more than a chapter needed WAYYY more development. Because of how flat the characters were, the spoken dialogue was pretty dull at times as well.
magelu82's review against another edition
5.0
This book for me was like mad Max meets the foundation. Coming off of a slow paced book as my last read, Dustborn keeps forward momentum at a pace that didn't leave me feeling like I'd miss key plot points.
jabenny's review against another edition
4.0
Probably closer to 3.5 stars
Warnings: Some violence/fighting
I thought the premise of this book was really interesting. And I don't usually read books like this. So I thought it was a cool world to dive into and I was engaged with the story and the characters. We have a strong female lead who had goals to achieve and we see her working towards them. There were some plot/development things that didn't really work for me, but hey, that happens.
Warnings: Some violence/fighting
I thought the premise of this book was really interesting. And I don't usually read books like this. So I thought it was a cool world to dive into and I was engaged with the story and the characters. We have a strong female lead who had goals to achieve and we see her working towards them. There were some plot/development things that didn't really work for me, but hey, that happens.