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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
For a debut novel, Rebecca has completely knocked it out of the park. Reading The Ones We Burn felt like I was being carried along on a tide, the ebb and flow of the story just pushed me along like a steady pulse, and I could not put the book down.
The slow burn of enemies to lovers, dynamic character growth, and themes touching on trauma and abuse from loved ones was just SO well done. I'm still in awe over how much happened in a standalone novel, and it never felt rushed. I am honored to have gone to school with Becca and can attest to how strong of a writer she always has been, and it's been phenomenal to read her debut novel.
10/10 would recommend for anyone who loved the Gregor the Overlander books, or who enjoys sapphic enemies-to-lovers tropes sprinkled with feral girls and found love.
The slow burn of enemies to lovers, dynamic character growth, and themes touching on trauma and abuse from loved ones was just SO well done. I'm still in awe over how much happened in a standalone novel, and it never felt rushed. I am honored to have gone to school with Becca and can attest to how strong of a writer she always has been, and it's been phenomenal to read her debut novel.
10/10 would recommend for anyone who loved the Gregor the Overlander books, or who enjoys sapphic enemies-to-lovers tropes sprinkled with feral girls and found love.
adventurous
dark
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
adventurous
emotional
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
Overall I don't regret reading this book, I had a fairly good time with it and the cover was so pretty! But I did have a few issues. I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters, which is important in order for me to love a book. I also didn't feel like Ranka was as strong of a warrior as she should have been. Even if she isn't accessing her blood magic, she's been training to be a warrior since she was 4 (I think) years old; I didn't feel like her abilities in the story reflected that. I also didn't find the ending believable. This is a common gripe I have with YA books, but it felt completely unrealistic to be able to just change the whole structure of the kingdom quickly/easily with no pushback from the nobles. I also saw the two big twists coming from a mile away, and I'm not usually very good at spotting those things.
Okay- I have put off writing a review for this book for a long while now, but I think it is time. Some of the arguments about the problematic aspects of this book are not necessarily supported by the text, though I think that careful editing and rigorous sensitivity reading could have polished this book up better.
BESIDES the accusations of problematic elements:
This book isn't great. It not necessarily bad in the technical aspects of how it was written or the crafting of the storyline, but it was kind of predictable and I personally think the author should have made it either 100 pages longer for more nuance, or cut 100 pages to make it more concise. It sits in a weird limbo where there are some aspects of the story are fully fleshed out and feel well developed but some of them are left to interpretation or feel surface level. Furthermore, its pacing felt awkward and slow in some spots that made it feel too long. I can read a mediocre fantasy book and have a good time as long as I am not bored. There were certainly parts of this book where I felt bored.
BESIDES the accusations of problematic elements:
This book isn't great. It not necessarily bad in the technical aspects of how it was written or the crafting of the storyline, but it was kind of predictable and I personally think the author should have made it either 100 pages longer for more nuance, or cut 100 pages to make it more concise. It sits in a weird limbo where there are some aspects of the story are fully fleshed out and feel well developed but some of them are left to interpretation or feel surface level. Furthermore, its pacing felt awkward and slow in some spots that made it feel too long. I can read a mediocre fantasy book and have a good time as long as I am not bored. There were certainly parts of this book where I felt bored.
adventurous
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
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated