Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Black Veins by Ashia Monet

3 reviews

longlost's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense slow-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

5.0

"They squeeze Blythe’s hand as if they could transfer their own will straight into her veins. “You come from an amazing family, Blythe. They’re strong. And so are you. They believe in you, and they know you haven’t given up on them, and they believe, with every fiber of their heart and being, that you’re coming to save them. You’re going get in that van and you’re going to drive. Drive until you find your family again. Drive until you that find fucker from the Trident Republic and give. Him. Hell.” Jamie’s eyes blaze. “Drive until you light Electric City the fuck up.” 

I knew I had to read this book the minute I read the "no-love-interest, found family adventure you’ve been searching for," tag in the summary. And while it took me a little while to really get into the story, I'm glad I stuck it out because it was all worth it for that ending

One of the biggest strengths of this book is its characters. The development between the Guardians' relationship was incredible, both heartwarming and heartbreaking when it needed to be. I adored each and every one of them; Blythe for her determination to rescue her family, Cordelia for how
her character developed throughout the story, until she was prepared to sacrifice her own family to save Blythe's
, Daniel's shy-spoken demeanor and
the bravery he developed along their journey
, Antonio and his ability to bring positivity and optimism to any situation, Storm and her incredible coolness
and her kindness towards Daniel
, Caspian's
willingness to own up to his mistakes and do better
, and
Jay's bravery in stepping into a world he's never been a part of just to help some new friends.
 

Ashia Monet crafts a rich inner world just beyond the reach of the Common - where magic sings in your veins, and where dangers lurk in every corner. While I was incredibly attached to the Guardians and their characters, the other characters that Monet places into this world were just as full of depth and each provided a new window into this world of magic that the book draws us into. Despite their brief appearance, I loved reading about Jamie and their attempts to befriend Blythe, and Katia was frustratingly endearing even if I still don't understand a lot of her character. 

You can really feel the love Monet has for this world in her writing. The fondess for the characters, the detail for the world they inhabit, the power behind this found family adventure that comprises of queer POC teenagers finding themselves and finding each other. Every word is crafted with such care, such indisputable respect for each of the characters and their stories. I can't stress enough how much I loved reading about the Guardians and their storylines. Definitely a book I'd recommend to anyone fond of the found family trope, and to anyone who's looking for a road trip rescue mission with a lot of bonding and some bombass worldbuilding. 

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ramunepocky's review

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adventurous emotional funny
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I really, really enjoyed this book!!! The pacing was a little slow to begin with, and it took me a while to get into the story, but once I was drawn into it, I was fully in that world!!! I really, really love all of the characters, especially Caspian (my absolute favourite), and Antonio, who is just so damn precious!!! The main seven were such a cool cast, and I really want to see more of them!!! I also really loved Jamie, and it was nice to have such casual nonbinary rep!!!
The ending goddamn made me cry, and I just very much would like more of them please and thanks !!! 

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alexture's review

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adventurous lighthearted tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The idea is good. The characters are wonderful - or could be wonderful, if the character building was more subtle. I think that's what I missed the most in this book, subtlety. Characters were predictable, what happened was predictable - unless there was nothing hinting at it because it was there to surprise us, the one twist I hadn't seen coming was an attempt at securing a second book but didn't bring much outside of that. Some scenes were clearly written at the beginning, and sometimes it looked like the book was just an excuse to get these 5 or 6 super detailed scenes out there to the public.
I read through it, and I was bored. I think it was really the way it was written, more than the content itself, because during the entire read, I kept imagining really cool animation. I'd have watched a animation series based on the exact same story. The novel format unfortunately didn't give it justice.

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