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molenkampa87's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
lindetiel's review against another edition
Fast-paced and enjoyable reading. Unfortunately it didn't have the same focus on the atmosphere of the circus as the previous book. A fun book nonetheless.
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
Yes, I'm writing the reviews out of order for this series but I don't think it really matters since the books have completely different characters in it. Just go with it.
Girl in the Shadows was pretty good but I guess I was just expecting more since the first book, Girl on a Wire was really good in my eyes. I don't really know how else to explain it other than the fact that I was just sort of expecting more from this book in a way.
What I really liked about Girl in the Shadows was that it had a female fighting for recognition in a male-dominated profession. However, it wasn't only about that - no, it mentioned positive things about body image and accepting people for being themselves.
I've always hated the double standard that we live in. I also have always hated how so many people get harassed for who they are. Just accept them. They aren't harming you in any way for them being themselves. I don't base my friendship on what they wear, how they act, who they love, their religion, or anything else that's super fucking dumb to judge them on. Well, unless they are douchebag or a twatwaffle 25/8 then that might break the friendship pact. But other than that I don't really care. So, it's really frustrating to me when in books and in real life not everyone can accept people for the way they are. For who they are. For them being an actual person.
Okay, enough of my rant there. Other than that I really like Moira and Dez because they constantly supported one another. They seemed to have a normal and very healthy relationship and I fully supported them supporting each other.
Overall, this book did have some flaws but they weren't major. I liked the flow of the book and the characters. I guess I just wanted more from it. I could totally see myself rereading this series over and over again.
Girl in the Shadows was pretty good but I guess I was just expecting more since the first book, Girl on a Wire was really good in my eyes. I don't really know how else to explain it other than the fact that I was just sort of expecting more from this book in a way.
What I really liked about Girl in the Shadows was that it had a female fighting for recognition in a male-dominated profession. However, it wasn't only about that - no, it mentioned positive things about body image and accepting people for being themselves.
I've always hated the double standard that we live in. I also have always hated how so many people get harassed for who they are. Just accept them. They aren't harming you in any way for them being themselves. I don't base my friendship on what they wear, how they act, who they love, their religion, or anything else that's super fucking dumb to judge them on. Well, unless they are douchebag or a twatwaffle 25/8 then that might break the friendship pact. But other than that I don't really care. So, it's really frustrating to me when in books and in real life not everyone can accept people for the way they are. For who they are. For them being an actual person.
Okay, enough of my rant there. Other than that I really like Moira and Dez because they constantly supported one another. They seemed to have a normal and very healthy relationship and I fully supported them supporting each other.
Overall, this book did have some flaws but they weren't major. I liked the flow of the book and the characters. I guess I just wanted more from it. I could totally see myself rereading this series over and over again.
indecisivesailorscout's review against another edition
2.0
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Check out my original review here.
I've read glowing reviews of Gwenda Bond's [b:Girl on a Wire|17838538|Girl on a Wire|Gwenda Bond|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1397837172s/17838538.jpg|41801682], and looked forward to reading the follow-up through a new character's eyes. All of the fascinating and wonderful things about the Cirque American are still here in full force, with the major players from book one coming back to play a central role in this story. Think [b:Lola and the Boy Next Door|9961796|Lola and the Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss, #2)|Stephanie Perkins|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1358271832s/9961796.jpg|7149084] with circus people and magicians - not just stage magicians, mind you, but real magic.
Unfortunately, the 'magic' of this circus sequel was lost on me. Not only was there very little circus description, but the whole thing felt less like reading a book and more like listening to my little sister describe her latest vacation. This is a common issue I have seen with first-person storytelling: instead of getting the full picture of the circus or the other characters in the book, we are seeing one person's vision of what's happening in front of her face, and then we're in her head hearing what she thinks about it. Moira is a classically unreliable narrator who can't be bothered to tell me what's actually going on around her before getting into the "he said/she said." Because of this issue, the book feels way too long, at nearly 400 pages of this nonsense:
Spoiler alert: She gets with the "distraction." They stay together despite the odds, and despite me growling at the book, "He lied to you! Dump his ass! What happened to 'dumb is dumb,' huh, Moira? Don't listen to him 'Moy...' you! What kind of nickname is 'Moy,' anyway?" Second spoiler: She isn't there to work, she's there to prove to her overbearing father that women can be magicians, too. Does that make this book feminist and inclusive? Disappointingly, not so much.
I gave this book 2 stars overall for weak storytelling, lack of character or world development, and for how bored I was after about halfway through. It's not a good read when you spend the second half of the book waiting for it to be over. If you really liked Girl on a Wire and want to see what happened to your favorite characters, it might be worth picking up, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. If you really want to read a quality circus tale, pick up [b:The Night Circus|9361589|The Night Circus|Erin Morgenstern|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1387124618s/9361589.jpg|14245059] as soon as you can get your hands on it (and check out my review here!)
I've read glowing reviews of Gwenda Bond's [b:Girl on a Wire|17838538|Girl on a Wire|Gwenda Bond|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1397837172s/17838538.jpg|41801682], and looked forward to reading the follow-up through a new character's eyes. All of the fascinating and wonderful things about the Cirque American are still here in full force, with the major players from book one coming back to play a central role in this story. Think [b:Lola and the Boy Next Door|9961796|Lola and the Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss, #2)|Stephanie Perkins|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1358271832s/9961796.jpg|7149084] with circus people and magicians - not just stage magicians, mind you, but real magic.
Unfortunately, the 'magic' of this circus sequel was lost on me. Not only was there very little circus description, but the whole thing felt less like reading a book and more like listening to my little sister describe her latest vacation. This is a common issue I have seen with first-person storytelling: instead of getting the full picture of the circus or the other characters in the book, we are seeing one person's vision of what's happening in front of her face, and then we're in her head hearing what she thinks about it. Moira is a classically unreliable narrator who can't be bothered to tell me what's actually going on around her before getting into the "he said/she said." Because of this issue, the book feels way too long, at nearly 400 pages of this nonsense:
"The knives formed a pretty, deadly heart shape. He took her hand, and she bowed, blushing. I bolted for the space in front of the next tent, my cheeks too. This was another excellent reminder that I wasn't here for distractions like Dez. I was here to work. Dumb was dumb."
Spoiler alert: She gets with the "distraction." They stay together despite the odds, and despite me growling at the book, "He lied to you! Dump his ass! What happened to 'dumb is dumb,' huh, Moira? Don't listen to him 'Moy...' you! What kind of nickname is 'Moy,' anyway?" Second spoiler: She isn't there to work, she's there to prove to her overbearing father that women can be magicians, too. Does that make this book feminist and inclusive? Disappointingly, not so much.
I gave this book 2 stars overall for weak storytelling, lack of character or world development, and for how bored I was after about halfway through. It's not a good read when you spend the second half of the book waiting for it to be over. If you really liked Girl on a Wire and want to see what happened to your favorite characters, it might be worth picking up, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. If you really want to read a quality circus tale, pick up [b:The Night Circus|9361589|The Night Circus|Erin Morgenstern|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1387124618s/9361589.jpg|14245059] as soon as you can get your hands on it (and check out my review here!)
bailo2's review against another edition
3.0
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I had a moment of extreme cover love, which ultimately led me to requesting this book. Isn't the cover gorgeous?
Unfortunately, the cover is my favorite part about this book.
Girl in the Shadows is the second book in a series, but can be read as a standalone. I hadn't read the first book, but I can say that it doesn't refer back to it in any major way, and the ending is clean.
Moira is the daughter of a renowned Vegas strip magician, dying to make a career in stage magic of her own. Knowing her father will never approve of her career choice, she gives him the slip and auditions for the Cirque American. Crazily enough, during the auditions, something completely unexpected happens, and Moira discovers that she truly has real magic.
There's also something about a magic coin that comes into play that everyone wants to get their hands on.
I liked the idea of this book. Is it totally original? Not entirely. A magical circus isn't a new concept. But I don't feel like I've read enough books on stage magicians so I enjoyed learning more about the history of magic and some of the methods behind performing magic and escapism.
However, the rest of the book was forgettable. It just didn't evoke any emotion out of me. It wasn't so good that I can gush about it and give it my full endorsement. But it wasn't so bad that it deserves a scathing review with a shake of my fist.
I didn't connect with any of the characters, who had minimal development, and I could not have cared less about what happened to them. The romantic elements were then rendered irrelevant; since I couldn't care about the individuals, I didn't care about them being together. Plus the whole romance was rather tropey anyway.
And despite having a great setting for a fantasy, the world building is pretty null. The author has a character info dump, and then that's just the way it is. And while magic is a rare gift in this world, all of the characters readily accept it, which I just can't believe.
If someone told me, "Hey, you have magic, and if you use too much of it, it would kill you" I probably would react a little differently than Moira, who was like, "But they told me magic wasn't real. Guess it is."
The dialogue was also absurd sometimes. I just can't imagine people talking like this:
"Sounds planish."
"It was cray annoying."
"Sorry. There's something...about you. Your eyes."
Folks, these are some gems of bad dialogue. I mean, who talks like that? Nobody I know, at least not in earnest.
I guess my final words about the book are, meh. But 5 stars to the artist of the cover! Please come illustrate one of my books if I ever finish one!
Tootle loo, darlings! Till next time!
I had a moment of extreme cover love, which ultimately led me to requesting this book. Isn't the cover gorgeous?
Unfortunately, the cover is my favorite part about this book.
Girl in the Shadows is the second book in a series, but can be read as a standalone. I hadn't read the first book, but I can say that it doesn't refer back to it in any major way, and the ending is clean.
Moira is the daughter of a renowned Vegas strip magician, dying to make a career in stage magic of her own. Knowing her father will never approve of her career choice, she gives him the slip and auditions for the Cirque American. Crazily enough, during the auditions, something completely unexpected happens, and Moira discovers that she truly has real magic.
There's also something about a magic coin that comes into play that everyone wants to get their hands on.
I liked the idea of this book. Is it totally original? Not entirely. A magical circus isn't a new concept. But I don't feel like I've read enough books on stage magicians so I enjoyed learning more about the history of magic and some of the methods behind performing magic and escapism.
However, the rest of the book was forgettable. It just didn't evoke any emotion out of me. It wasn't so good that I can gush about it and give it my full endorsement. But it wasn't so bad that it deserves a scathing review with a shake of my fist.
I didn't connect with any of the characters, who had minimal development, and I could not have cared less about what happened to them. The romantic elements were then rendered irrelevant; since I couldn't care about the individuals, I didn't care about them being together. Plus the whole romance was rather tropey anyway.
And despite having a great setting for a fantasy, the world building is pretty null. The author has a character info dump, and then that's just the way it is. And while magic is a rare gift in this world, all of the characters readily accept it, which I just can't believe.
If someone told me, "Hey, you have magic, and if you use too much of it, it would kill you" I probably would react a little differently than Moira, who was like, "But they told me magic wasn't real. Guess it is."
The dialogue was also absurd sometimes. I just can't imagine people talking like this:
"Sounds planish."
"It was cray annoying."
"Sorry. There's something...about you. Your eyes."
Folks, these are some gems of bad dialogue. I mean, who talks like that? Nobody I know, at least not in earnest.
I guess my final words about the book are, meh. But 5 stars to the artist of the cover! Please come illustrate one of my books if I ever finish one!
Tootle loo, darlings! Till next time!
pantsreads's review against another edition
4.0
Loved revisiting the Cirque American. Gwenda writes such fun and entertaining mysteries, and I love her circus so much—I really wish I could visit it!
Check out my full review on FYA.
Check out my full review on FYA.
betwixt_the_pages's review against another edition
4.0
Eighteen-year-old Moira Mitchell grew up in the shadows of Vegas’s stage lights while her father’s career as a magician soared. More than anything, Moira wants to be a magician too, but her father is dead set against her pursuing magic.
When an invitation to join the Cirque American mistakenly falls into Moira’s possession, she takes action. Instead of giving the highly coveted invitation to its intended recipient, Raleigh, her father’s handsome and worldly former apprentice, Moira takes off to join the Cirque. If she can perform alongside its world-famous acts, she knows she’ll be able to convince her dad that magic is her future.
But when Moira arrives, things take on an intensity she can’t control as her stage magic suddenly feels like…real magic. To further distract her, Raleigh shows up none too pleased at Moira’s presence, all while the Cirque’s cocky and intriguing knife thrower, Dez, seems to have it out for her. As tensions mount and Moira’s abilities come into question, she must decide what’s real and what’s an illusion. If she doesn’t sort it out in time, she may forever remain a girl in the shadows.
Rating: 4/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: magical realism!; a stubborn, head-strong woman finds a way into her own; the snark and sass is spot-on; mystery, drama, and a flair for poetic prose; cute, realistic romance; a nod to female magicians through history; entertaining, quirky, and enthralling
HUGE thanks to Gwenda Bond, Skyscape Publishing, and Xpresso Book Tours for granting me early access to this title in exchange for an honest review! This in no way changed my read of or opinions on this book.
The girls at the theater had warned me more than once about the danger of charm. Beware the smooth-tongued boys, the ones flattery comes easy to. There's nothing wrong with wanting to believe it, even with believing what they say is true--you are beautiful, you are smart, you are unique--but it's foolish to assume it means anything. Sweet nothings was an apt phrase. Taken seriously, sweet nothings became bitter regrets.
So, first things first: I LOVE anything to do with the circus. I blame this entirely upon The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern--she kicked up an obsession I didn't realize was lurking in the shadows, and I've been on a downward spiral ever since. So when I learned that Girl on a Wire was, in fact, NOT a standalone novel... I think I heard the book angels singing. There was a definite roaring in my ears. I rejoiced, screamed aloud, squealed a bit in the husband's ear...and then immediately fell into despair, because I NEEDED book two and I NEEDED it right that second. Imagine my delight when I discovered a book tour for said book. Imagine my sheer MANIA when I found out I'd been accepted to be part of said book tour! I might have broken the husband's eardrums a little bit more than they already were. Oops?
And this book? Brought the magic to life for me. I mean, obviously, it's set in the midst of a traveling circus. Jules and Remy, our pair from book one, make some pretty low-key appearances, which I adored. But the biggest thing? There's MORE magical realism than in book one, and that really helped to sway me to this book's side immediately. I was drawn into a world of shadows, mystery, drama and magical flair...and kept captivated, much like the audience of an illusion, until the very end.
All these layers of glass between us were like some metaphor I didn't care for in that moment. He might as well have been aiming for my heart.
He'd hit it.
Moira is a headstrong, stubborn, and sometimes foolish slip of a girl. She strikes out on her own to prove a point...and finds herself caught up in a fight for freedom, her life, and the love of a boy who doesn't seem to care about anything. And where Moira is impulsive, reckless, and still calmly poised... Dez is a ticking bombshell of witty humor and sharp edges. The girl who always runs away...and the boy who gives up too easily. It's an endearing, dangerous pairing--and I LOVED them together from the get-go. Of course, the rest of the characters easily stand on their own--and each has a role, even if minuscule.
The plot is, perhaps, just a smidge bit lacking in the dramatic flair department. There is a HUGE amount of focus dedicated to the world-building, the magical realism, and the nod to women magicians throughout the history of magic...but there are only a few truly "nail-biting" worthy moments. This is a soft sort of drama--a small blip here, a jump or two farther up the plot mountain there, before the final, HUGE moment. It is a quiet sort of action...but the prose is so poetic and gorgeous, I was captivated regardless.
"I'm afraid now. I never used to be, but now I am. And I don't know how not to be, how to make it feel like it used to, being up there. Like I didn't have to worry. Like nothing would go wrong. You can't fly and be afraid to move at the same time."
I really enjoyed this...continuation? Companion novel? Whatever it is--the journey was subtle, but full of magic. I love how much growth we see in Moira, her father, and Dez. I LOVE the "flowery" prose, the moments where wisdom was imparted, the fact that I had about ten different highlighted quotes to choose from for this review... Mostly, I love how much more magical realism played a part in this novel, in comparison with Girl on a Wire. I cannot WAIT to see what the rest of this series (if there is a rest of this series?! Or is it just a duology? Inquiring minds MUST know!) holds in store for us! I definitely recommend to lovers of all things circus, magical realism, and opposites-attract romances. Also, snark--because there's a LOT of it in this book!
rosemarieshort's review
3.0
There is a certain mystique surrounding circus life which I would imagine translates well into YA. However over the years I've read surprisingly few fantasy YA books set in the circus.
In Girl in the Shadows, Gwenda Bond certainly creates a great romantic partnership with Moira and Dez. Them together was perhaps the very best thing about the book. Their relationship develops steadily and naturally, with their feelings for each other increasing as their trust for each other grows. I really enjoyed Dez and I liked they way Moira acted when she was with him. When she was on her own / with other characters, she fluttered between great and okay in terms of characterization and decision making.
There were some stand out supporting characters - I really wanted more of Dita - and of Nancy Moroni! I realised afterwards that this is a sequel, with the previous book focusing on Jules and Remy. I would have loved to have read their Romeo and Juliet style adventure first, but alas - by the time I was aware that it existed, it was too late. Can book number three be a Nancy prequel??
For all the good that there was, I feel there was a substantial sacrifice for the great central relationship between Dez and Moira - namely the story. Often the plot felt a little jumbled and rushed, with not enough time spent on developing Moira's growing friendships with the other members of the Cirque. As a result of this, some actions by Moira, and the baddies, seemed a little silly. I wasn't sold on the Rex as a big bad either, feeling that his character was just a little underwhelming. The whole lore of magic felt a little lost among other things, and often a little unclear on its own rules.
Overall, this was a fun read, but it was less miraculous and more middling in terms of enjoyment for me.
In Girl in the Shadows, Gwenda Bond certainly creates a great romantic partnership with Moira and Dez. Them together was perhaps the very best thing about the book. Their relationship develops steadily and naturally, with their feelings for each other increasing as their trust for each other grows. I really enjoyed Dez and I liked they way Moira acted when she was with him. When she was on her own / with other characters, she fluttered between great and okay in terms of characterization and decision making.
There were some stand out supporting characters - I really wanted more of Dita - and of Nancy Moroni! I realised afterwards that this is a sequel, with the previous book focusing on Jules and Remy. I would have loved to have read their Romeo and Juliet style adventure first, but alas - by the time I was aware that it existed, it was too late. Can book number three be a Nancy prequel??
For all the good that there was, I feel there was a substantial sacrifice for the great central relationship between Dez and Moira - namely the story. Often the plot felt a little jumbled and rushed, with not enough time spent on developing Moira's growing friendships with the other members of the Cirque. As a result of this, some actions by Moira, and the baddies, seemed a little silly. I wasn't sold on the Rex as a big bad either, feeling that his character was just a little underwhelming. The whole lore of magic felt a little lost among other things, and often a little unclear on its own rules.
Overall, this was a fun read, but it was less miraculous and more middling in terms of enjoyment for me.
sapphisms's review
2.0
I received this book through NetGalley and Skyscape and Two Lions in exchange for an honest review.
I. Ok, so I'm really disappointed. Like... really disappointed. I'll give you the tldr; right here: the characters are flat, the only explicitly stated recurring character of color is used to jumpstart the white MC's magic career, it's casually homophobic on more than one occasion, and the romance is so rushed that it's unbelievable.
Alright first things first: I was a big fan of Bond after reading her book [b:Double Down|27818091|Double Down (Lois Lane, #2)|Gwenda Bond|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454716565s/27818091.jpg|45863526]- I thought her depictions of Clark and Lois were incredibly spot-on, with the side characters being cute (if not occasionally bland), but fleshed out. Now, upon retrospect, I'm wondering if that was my comic book knowledge filling in the holes where Bond's characterization fell flat. Because, really, this book has the worst characterization I've seen in a novel. I'll tell you what I know about Moira from reading this entire book: she wants to be a magician to spite her dad, she doesn't listen to anyone talking any form of sense, and she'll somehow fall in insta-love with the best friend of a homophobic boy.
Oh, also, her white feminism is goddamn annoying.
The one thing I just can't deal with in this book is how Moira will launch into forced non-sequiturs for the sake of imparting some Very Basic Feminist Ideology on us. In fact, Brandon seems to have been created solely for this purpose- to be a misogynistic clown so that Moira can shoot him down. Which makes me give 0 shits when he gets in the end. Nice try trying to make me feel bad for a misogynist (and implied Hitler Youth allegory), Bond, but I'm not buying it. I just love (heavy sarcasm) how she says "Several of the girls who worked at Dad's show were lesbians or bi, and I'd been in one couple's wedding", yet tries to strongarm Dita into coming out to her at 12% into the book.
Like, really, what kind of Bad Straight Ally shit that you see men's clothes in a feminine-presenting person's closet, then launch into a spiel about how you'll accept them if they're "gay or bi or straight as an arrow or whatever variety or combination thereof"??? Honestly, if she was so good and accepting, she would've waited until Dita was comfortable with bringing up the subject or coming out to her (and I know we're supposed to read Dita's reaction as, I don't know, in awe? that Moira is So Sensitive- but really, she just sounds uncomfortable. Because there's no way you can write a scene like that and have it come off as organic with the queer person being excited about being forced to come out.). Also, what kinda bullshit that Dita being coded as trans is never mentioned by the text, but she says she's currently unsure, but "feel[s] more like [herself] when [she] dress[es] in men's clothes".
Dita never gets to transition or get new pronouns or anything- she's put firmly in the backseat as the token Quiet Queer But Supportive Best Friend for the majority of the narrative, while Moira fumbles around trying to figure out whether she loves or hates Dez.
Also using terrible slang. I don't know if this was a Thing in the previous book (for some reason, I only seem to get approved to read the sequels to Bond's novels), but no one is "cray annoying".
Onto the romance- wowza what a bland and heterosexual ride that was! No, like, really- there was no chemistry to begin with (with Moira in-text saying she doesn't like him/is wary of him because he's friends with Brandon) and then... 17% in, and she's fully invested and jealous when he makes knife-hearts around other girls (makes sense in context). He's pretty much a dick for over half of the novel, until he's terrifyingly correct that Moira is needlessly risking her life, to which he... loses any semblance of character from his previous iteration. And, really, the 'over prepared' guy that we were introduced, the guy that has All The Cards, doesn't match up with the guy who later will drop really serious topics in order to make out. I'd come into this book, defensive of Bond's writing and... Was disappointed in how immediate Dez's character shift is. He showed pretty much no empathy for the first quarter of the book, then dropped into some Smooth Talking Stranger as he woos Moira right onto a ferris wheel and bargains for her love with planning to sabotage Raleigh's performance to give her a chance in the spotlight.
Wait, I haven't talked about Raleigh yet? Ok, so, only explicitly mentioned black character in the entire book. One of two total explicitly-mentioned people of color in the entire narrative- and he's far more interesting than Moira. In fact, the whole reason that this book started is because Moira mistakenly assumes he's there just to boost up her career by dropping the invitation (which she then takes and doesn't mention to him because she thinks it's Destiny). This isn't the last time that he has to suffer to benefit her, however- time and time again, he's thrown under the bus ()- and, when he's not thrown under the bus, there's this weird... Honestly, no clue what to call it. It's teased that he's interested in her, but he's never treated as a viable love interest- only something for Dez to be jealous over (on the rare occasions that Raleigh even gets time to speak)- he's just "brothery". I get it- you have, like, one black person, one latinx, and one queer person! Yeah, totally makes up for the fact that you don't know how to handle any of these diverse profiles (nope!).
Speaking of latinx characters, I'm really not sure who's latino in this book- Dez's descriptions vary from being a tanned white person (in his initial description) to being "brown" (later description), and someone was referred to as "The Latino Cary Grant" at 31%, but I have no clue if that's supposed to be him. If Dez is latinx, however, this opens up a whole other can of worms, including the Spicy Latinx Lover stereotype, the Unfaithful Latino stereotype, and, literally, the fact that he's. Also the fact that he's profiled (if he's latinx) by a white storeowner because, at a point, he's actively and obviously casing out a store like he's going to rob it. Also the fact that he has a complete lack of consistent characterization is problematic (from being the Latinx Lover stereotype, to being completely disconnected, to ). Either he's the latinx character, or Remy is, and I'm not entire sure on either account- but it has bigger consequences for Dez's characterization if it's him.
All in all... Yeah, don't think I'm gonna hang around for a third Lois Lane novel or anything from this series. This showed that Bond is only willing to talk about issues that concern privileged white, cis, heterosexual women, and won't take the same critical stance and scope in regards to other races, sexualities, or genders.
I. Ok, so I'm really disappointed. Like... really disappointed. I'll give you the tldr; right here: the characters are flat, the only explicitly stated recurring character of color is used to jumpstart the white MC's magic career, it's casually homophobic on more than one occasion, and the romance is so rushed that it's unbelievable.
Alright first things first: I was a big fan of Bond after reading her book [b:Double Down|27818091|Double Down (Lois Lane, #2)|Gwenda Bond|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454716565s/27818091.jpg|45863526]- I thought her depictions of Clark and Lois were incredibly spot-on, with the side characters being cute (if not occasionally bland), but fleshed out. Now, upon retrospect, I'm wondering if that was my comic book knowledge filling in the holes where Bond's characterization fell flat. Because, really, this book has the worst characterization I've seen in a novel. I'll tell you what I know about Moira from reading this entire book: she wants to be a magician to spite her dad, she doesn't listen to anyone talking any form of sense, and she'll somehow fall in insta-love with the best friend of a homophobic boy.
Oh, also, her white feminism is goddamn annoying.
The one thing I just can't deal with in this book is how Moira will launch into forced non-sequiturs for the sake of imparting some Very Basic Feminist Ideology on us. In fact, Brandon seems to have been created solely for this purpose- to be a misogynistic clown so that Moira can shoot him down. Which makes me give 0 shits when he gets
Spoiler
his hand fucking massacredLike, really, what kind of Bad Straight Ally shit that you see men's clothes in a feminine-presenting person's closet, then launch into a spiel about how you'll accept them if they're "gay or bi or straight as an arrow or whatever variety or combination thereof"??? Honestly, if she was so good and accepting, she would've waited until Dita was comfortable with bringing up the subject or coming out to her (and I know we're supposed to read Dita's reaction as, I don't know, in awe? that Moira is So Sensitive- but really, she just sounds uncomfortable. Because there's no way you can write a scene like that and have it come off as organic with the queer person being excited about being forced to come out.). Also, what kinda bullshit that Dita being coded as trans is never mentioned by the text, but she says she's currently unsure, but "feel[s] more like [herself] when [she] dress[es] in men's clothes".
Dita never gets to transition or get new pronouns or anything
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other than a man's costume for her performanceAlso using terrible slang. I don't know if this was a Thing in the previous book (for some reason, I only seem to get approved to read the sequels to Bond's novels), but no one is "cray annoying".
Onto the romance- wowza what a bland and heterosexual ride that was! No, like, really- there was no chemistry to begin with (with Moira in-text saying she doesn't like him/is wary of him because he's friends with Brandon) and then... 17% in, and she's fully invested and jealous when he makes knife-hearts around other girls (makes sense in context). He's pretty much a dick for over half of the novel, until he's terrifyingly correct that Moira is needlessly risking her life
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which really!!! She knows her magic is unstable and not to be depended on, yet she still somehow thinks she can rely on it to save her from snapping her neck- to the point where she doesn't even prepare for the trick in case it goes wrongs?!Wait, I haven't talked about Raleigh yet? Ok, so, only explicitly mentioned black character in the entire book. One of two total explicitly-mentioned people of color in the entire narrative- and he's far more interesting than Moira. In fact, the whole reason that this book started is because Moira mistakenly assumes he's there just to boost up her career by dropping the invitation (which she then takes and doesn't mention to him because she thinks it's Destiny). This isn't the last time that he has to suffer to benefit her, however- time and time again, he's thrown under the bus (
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he's a mole for her father looking for the coin! he loses his job so she can perform on-stage! he covers for her time and time again! he's the last person to find out magic is real despite knowing Moira the longest in the cirque!Speaking of latinx characters, I'm really not sure who's latino in this book- Dez's descriptions vary from being a tanned white person (in his initial description) to being "brown" (later description), and someone was referred to as "The Latino Cary Grant" at 31%, but I have no clue if that's supposed to be him. If Dez is latinx, however, this opens up a whole other can of worms, including the Spicy Latinx Lover stereotype, the Unfaithful Latino stereotype, and, literally, the fact that he's
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a thief, and cases out stores like he's going to steal something- which is bad because he'd literally be the only latinx character, and the only thiefSpoiler
willing to die for Moira, who he met maybe four months agoAll in all... Yeah, don't think I'm gonna hang around for a third Lois Lane novel or anything from this series. This showed that Bond is only willing to talk about issues that concern privileged white, cis, heterosexual women, and won't take the same critical stance and scope in regards to other races, sexualities, or genders.