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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I bought this book as apart of a Beacon Book Box. Support your authors!
Book: The Beholder
Author: Anna Bright
Book Series: The Beholder Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: Romance, Adventure
Publication Date: June 4, 2019
Publisher: Harperteen
Pages: 497
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, violence, language, sexism)
Synopsis: Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come.
But after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.
From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and under the eye of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks…and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.
Review: I didn't think I'd like this book as much as I did after seeing some of the reviews but I felt the book was well done. I liked the world building and I liked how the book didn't entirely explain everything. Through snippits you can understand that this is an alternate universe in which America did not start a revolution. The world building was detailed but subtle. The characters are also well developed and while the main characters motives are romance I love how she grows and how she isn't one dimensional. I also love how a rebellion story was developed out of this supposed romance book.
The only fault I had of this book is that it's a bit on the nose and easily predictable, but the book did have some great twists, regardless if they were obvious or not.
Verdict: An amazing book!
Book: The Beholder
Author: Anna Bright
Book Series: The Beholder Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: Romance, Adventure
Publication Date: June 4, 2019
Publisher: Harperteen
Pages: 497
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, violence, language, sexism)
Synopsis: Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come.
But after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.
From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and under the eye of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks…and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.
Review: I didn't think I'd like this book as much as I did after seeing some of the reviews but I felt the book was well done. I liked the world building and I liked how the book didn't entirely explain everything. Through snippits you can understand that this is an alternate universe in which America did not start a revolution. The world building was detailed but subtle. The characters are also well developed and while the main characters motives are romance I love how she grows and how she isn't one dimensional. I also love how a rebellion story was developed out of this supposed romance book.
The only fault I had of this book is that it's a bit on the nose and easily predictable, but the book did have some great twists, regardless if they were obvious or not.
Verdict: An amazing book!
I definitely enjoyed this book, the plot was interesting and I appreciated the variety of characters (even though it was hard to remember them all sometimes).
I just tried writing this review and I got way too angry so I'll try again tomorrow.
DNF @ 35%
Honestly? I think this book suffers from being mis-advertised. I was told it was a cross of Odyssey and fairytales... that is not what this book is, and I think if I’d not been sold on that, I might have been able to enjoy this. But because that wasn’t what it was, I now need to have a bit of a rant, so... sorry...
Characters:
In the first few chapters, I was already hesitant because our MC pretty much cried for the first chunk of the book. I get why, and typically I enjoy characters reacting in ways like this - realistic, as real kids and teens would - but there’s a limit, and Selah crossed that within the first 20 pages. That and in general her character flip-flops a lot between this naive, crybaby to this head-strong, sarcastic girl who has a retort for everything people say. It just... didn’t work.
To add to this - just before I put the book down, Selah is given a list of things she is going to do in England during the two weeks she’s there. These consist of a few rest days, and then a dinner or a trip out each day. One thing a day. And this makes Selah ask for two extra rest days. This is confusing for two reasons. One: there’s really not that much on the list. Each activity is local or would only take half a day maximum. How is that too much? Two: there’s been nothing (that I picked up on) that shows Selah is introverted and needs alone time until this point. Granted, take this second with a pinch of salt, as I’d think I kept zoning out of the book often...
World:
I’m... really confused by the setting. Obviously it’s in our world, or at least a version of our world. It has England and Norway and the right oceans, just with slightly edited names (or in some cases, just the names in another language) and some made-up countries thrown in. Typically, I wouldn’t hate this, but when the first scene make it sound like some magical fantasy-type world, and suddenly we hear the stepmother is from New York... it kinda throws you out of the story a little. Likewise we have an issue in technology. Every now and then, it sounds like it should be set in more historic times - middle ages, edwardian maybe? The typical fantasy-type setting. Yet, the oddities are thrown in here and there, which might be as simple as a sweater or a radio, and you’re left wondering - when and where are we?
Plot:
So... for about the first 30% of this book... there’s a ball. Selah’s rejected. She goes on a boat. The first part moves fast and I was glad we were jumping right into it, and then... nothing. We’re just on the boat for a while. But nothing too great really happens on the boat? It’s just... on the boat. And some talking. Yes, I didn’t read far in, but I’d have liked something like plot to have happened by 35%? There’s build up. It feels like there’s plot because we’ve jumped forward in time and place but... it’s still nothing much.
As I said, I may try this book again. It might be more fun going into it knowing what it is NOT - as perhaps my misunderstanding of the summary was to blame for how much I struggled with it, but for now, I’m sorry but I’ll have to put it on hold.
Honestly? I think this book suffers from being mis-advertised. I was told it was a cross of Odyssey and fairytales... that is not what this book is, and I think if I’d not been sold on that, I might have been able to enjoy this. But because that wasn’t what it was, I now need to have a bit of a rant, so... sorry...
Characters:
In the first few chapters, I was already hesitant because our MC pretty much cried for the first chunk of the book. I get why, and typically I enjoy characters reacting in ways like this - realistic, as real kids and teens would - but there’s a limit, and Selah crossed that within the first 20 pages. That and in general her character flip-flops a lot between this naive, crybaby to this head-strong, sarcastic girl who has a retort for everything people say. It just... didn’t work.
To add to this - just before I put the book down, Selah is given a list of things she is going to do in England during the two weeks she’s there. These consist of a few rest days, and then a dinner or a trip out each day. One thing a day. And this makes Selah ask for two extra rest days. This is confusing for two reasons. One: there’s really not that much on the list. Each activity is local or would only take half a day maximum. How is that too much? Two: there’s been nothing (that I picked up on) that shows Selah is introverted and needs alone time until this point. Granted, take this second with a pinch of salt, as I’d think I kept zoning out of the book often...
World:
I’m... really confused by the setting. Obviously it’s in our world, or at least a version of our world. It has England and Norway and the right oceans, just with slightly edited names (or in some cases, just the names in another language) and some made-up countries thrown in. Typically, I wouldn’t hate this, but when the first scene make it sound like some magical fantasy-type world, and suddenly we hear the stepmother is from New York... it kinda throws you out of the story a little. Likewise we have an issue in technology. Every now and then, it sounds like it should be set in more historic times - middle ages, edwardian maybe? The typical fantasy-type setting. Yet, the oddities are thrown in here and there, which might be as simple as a sweater or a radio, and you’re left wondering - when and where are we?
Plot:
So... for about the first 30% of this book... there’s a ball. Selah’s rejected. She goes on a boat. The first part moves fast and I was glad we were jumping right into it, and then... nothing. We’re just on the boat for a while. But nothing too great really happens on the boat? It’s just... on the boat. And some talking. Yes, I didn’t read far in, but I’d have liked something like plot to have happened by 35%? There’s build up. It feels like there’s plot because we’ve jumped forward in time and place but... it’s still nothing much.
As I said, I may try this book again. It might be more fun going into it knowing what it is NOT - as perhaps my misunderstanding of the summary was to blame for how much I struggled with it, but for now, I’m sorry but I’ll have to put it on hold.
I’m going to preamble this review with an admission that I very nearly didn’t start it. That day I had seen a few reviews that weren’t favourable and it gave me a wobble. But as I always say, not all books are for everyone and I’m glad I ignored the reviews and went ahead! Firstly I am very lucky to have the gorgeous fairyloot edition of this book. The dusky pink sprayed edges are beautiful and the deep red of the hardcover is so lovely. It truly is a wonderful book to behold (said with a winky face) and what’s inside is actually pretty good too.
Whilst this is marketed as YA I would say it’s actually a very teen book, the romance is sweet and a little fluttery and the situations are very much for that age group. Myths and fairytales play a large part in the story, little nods here and there to different stories and each part of the book is prefaced with quotes from from fairytales from the obscure to the well known. This makes it unique in the sea of retellings because it’s not just drawing from a single source and it gave me a much needed boost back into the genre that I felt at saturation point with.
It’s entirely Selah’s show and because of how the story moves and is set up we don’t have the chance to get too invested in the side characters, which is a shame. But with both Bear and Torden the author does an amazing job at making you want to fall in love with them, poor Selah! Selah comes across as flighty and naive, but she’s lived in a small rural area her whole life, she is sheltered and a daddy’s girl who has been through immeasurable loss. A child losing their mother is profound and is going to shape them and keep them childlike for longer – I make this point as there is a lot of hate for Selah but I think it’s pretty unfounded and I found her to be a likeable character, she has a presence of mind I wouldn’t have tagged her with and I felt she dealt with some difficult political situations well. For the most part I quite liked the flow of the story, she was quickly away from Potomac and on her journey far from home, this again I think gives her a pass for petulance!
The only time that I felt the story dragged was when Selah first arrived in Norge, I think I was still reeling from her exit from England and I struggled to get into the mindset for Norge. The thing about this book as there are 3 main settings and there are a whole slew of characters that appear in each. Honesty, I couldn’t remember who half of the people were most of the time which was a shame as it’s that kind of thing that really pulls me out of a story – and it frequently did. Selah is on a journey though and although I thought this was a standalone (it’s a duology) I liked how each place was given its due time and I appreciated the effort that went into the world building of each location, if not the characterisation. If there is one thing that this story has though, it’s plots within plots, it will keep you on your toes, never knowing who to trust whether it’s those closest or those on the edge of the story. There is some great political wranglings and a chance for Selah to understand what her future holds, if only she gives herself the chance!
Ultimately, I found this to be a hugely enjoyable read that was easy to take in with a story that flowed well pretty much throughout, it’s not overly caught up in its own lore which brings a lighter touch to what could otherwise be a too serious read.
Whilst this is marketed as YA I would say it’s actually a very teen book, the romance is sweet and a little fluttery and the situations are very much for that age group. Myths and fairytales play a large part in the story, little nods here and there to different stories and each part of the book is prefaced with quotes from from fairytales from the obscure to the well known. This makes it unique in the sea of retellings because it’s not just drawing from a single source and it gave me a much needed boost back into the genre that I felt at saturation point with.
It’s entirely Selah’s show and because of how the story moves and is set up we don’t have the chance to get too invested in the side characters, which is a shame. But with both Bear and Torden the author does an amazing job at making you want to fall in love with them, poor Selah! Selah comes across as flighty and naive, but she’s lived in a small rural area her whole life, she is sheltered and a daddy’s girl who has been through immeasurable loss. A child losing their mother is profound and is going to shape them and keep them childlike for longer – I make this point as there is a lot of hate for Selah but I think it’s pretty unfounded and I found her to be a likeable character, she has a presence of mind I wouldn’t have tagged her with and I felt she dealt with some difficult political situations well. For the most part I quite liked the flow of the story, she was quickly away from Potomac and on her journey far from home, this again I think gives her a pass for petulance!
The only time that I felt the story dragged was when Selah first arrived in Norge, I think I was still reeling from her exit from England and I struggled to get into the mindset for Norge. The thing about this book as there are 3 main settings and there are a whole slew of characters that appear in each. Honesty, I couldn’t remember who half of the people were most of the time which was a shame as it’s that kind of thing that really pulls me out of a story – and it frequently did. Selah is on a journey though and although I thought this was a standalone (it’s a duology) I liked how each place was given its due time and I appreciated the effort that went into the world building of each location, if not the characterisation. If there is one thing that this story has though, it’s plots within plots, it will keep you on your toes, never knowing who to trust whether it’s those closest or those on the edge of the story. There is some great political wranglings and a chance for Selah to understand what her future holds, if only she gives herself the chance!
Ultimately, I found this to be a hugely enjoyable read that was easy to take in with a story that flowed well pretty much throughout, it’s not overly caught up in its own lore which brings a lighter touch to what could otherwise be a too serious read.
nothing happened in this book and it was a waste of my TIME
I have some Opinions about how I want things to go down in the next book, but something I love is that at this point I'm okay with whatever Selah chooses as far as her suitors/marriage alliances/etc. go, which is a big part of the premise of the book (along with the political implications of those choices). And that's pretty incredible, since in most books I tend to be ride-or-die for a particular ship and then (more often than not) end up bitterly disappointed when that's not what happens.
But with this one, I feel that I know Selah well enough that it's more like she's a friend who I just want to see happy. I.e., yeah, the guy she's seeing may not be someone *I* can imagine being involved with, but he's good, and she's happy, and those are the important things.
I can see how some readers would be disappointed with the heavy emphasis on romance in this book, despite the premise basically telling you that's going to happen. And I get that: I'm generally a fan of romantic subplots vs. ones that are heavily featured in the story. But to me this isn't so much a "which boy will the MC choose?" story, even though those definitely have value.
To me this is a book about being forced into other people's decisions and finding your own path anyway. It's about being backed into a corner by love or duty or fear (of hurting people, of not being good enough) and still finding a way to exercise autonomy. Sometimes you can break the system; sometimes that isn't immediately possible but you can find a way to make your choices matter anyway. That second kind of story is what The Beholder made me think of. **
Full review to come on my channel :)
*Review copy received in a giveaway from the author!
**Oh, and a certain trope was handled in a way I've always wanted to see and it was glorious.
But with this one, I feel that I know Selah well enough that it's more like she's a friend who I just want to see happy. I.e., yeah, the guy she's seeing may not be someone *I* can imagine being involved with, but he's good, and she's happy, and those are the important things.
I can see how some readers would be disappointed with the heavy emphasis on romance in this book, despite the premise basically telling you that's going to happen. And I get that: I'm generally a fan of romantic subplots vs. ones that are heavily featured in the story. But to me this isn't so much a "which boy will the MC choose?" story, even though those definitely have value.
To me this is a book about being forced into other people's decisions and finding your own path anyway. It's about being backed into a corner by love or duty or fear (of hurting people, of not being good enough) and still finding a way to exercise autonomy. Sometimes you can break the system; sometimes that isn't immediately possible but you can find a way to make your choices matter anyway. That second kind of story is what The Beholder made me think of. **
Full review to come on my channel :)
*Review copy received in a giveaway from the author!
**Oh, and a certain trope was handled in a way I've always wanted to see and it was glorious.