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blondiebar18's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Still keeping the fairytale feel of the first book, this one focused a bit more on the love of a family, and specifically a parent. We got to see the characters from East continue to live their lives and reach new happy endings. I do wish that instead of once again being separated/having a communication obstacle for most the book that Rose and the White Bear could have truly been working together to save their son, but overall it was enjoyable
pantsreads's review against another edition
3.0
A sweet story, but lacking the level of detail I've come to expect from YA fantasy adventure novels.
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
meaganlopez20's review against another edition
4.0
East was one of my favorite books growing up and I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of this book and I must say I wasn't disappointed! While my socks are still firmly on my feet the reading was enjoyable and Patou did a great job of writing yet another journey that doesn't have just a singular high and low. It was complex and kept you going. I also liked the alternating POV, even her mom and dad as they were fun interludes.
A little clunky at times and definitely in need of some finer editing when it comes to certain word usage. I also found the use of "I don't know how long it's been since/days must have passed" etc to be a little overdone or just a poor device to show how much time was spent or how invested the characters were in something.
Other than that it was great and I'd recommend it if you have read East.
A little clunky at times and definitely in need of some finer editing when it comes to certain word usage. I also found the use of "I don't know how long it's been since/days must have passed" etc to be a little overdone or just a poor device to show how much time was spent or how invested the characters were in something.
Other than that it was great and I'd recommend it if you have read East.
penguinlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
East is a beautifully written retelling of East of the Sun West of the Moon. West takes reader’s back to the richly detailed land of ice and snow. Having read East 15 years ago, I thought it only fair to give it a reread before reading and reviewing West. I thoroughly enjoyed reading East again but I do not think that it is necessarily essential for a reader to read East before West. There is enough background given to fill a reader in on past events.
For me, West is everything East was and more. The novel is full of references to mythology and folklore. There is more talk about the winds and wind magic, something that was lacking in the first book despite its presence in the original myth. We see more of the characters that we only just got a slight insight to previously – Charles, Estelle, Neddy, and a few new characters.
The book is quite fast paced. The chapters change between points of view which allow the reader to gain insight into the emotions of all the different characters. You can really feel the struggle Rose goes through.
Overall, I loved this book.
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review**
For me, West is everything East was and more. The novel is full of references to mythology and folklore. There is more talk about the winds and wind magic, something that was lacking in the first book despite its presence in the original myth. We see more of the characters that we only just got a slight insight to previously – Charles, Estelle, Neddy, and a few new characters.
The book is quite fast paced. The chapters change between points of view which allow the reader to gain insight into the emotions of all the different characters. You can really feel the struggle Rose goes through.
Overall, I loved this book.
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review**
wolfnotter's review against another edition
3.0
Character: 6
Atmosphere: 5
Writing: 5
Plot: 5
Intrigue: 5
Logic: 5
Enjoyment: 6
CAWPILE: 5.29
While I still enjoyed the book, I much prefer the first book and would have been perfect content not having the second book.
Merged review:
Character: 6
Atmosphere: 5
Writing: 5
Plot: 5
Intrigue: 5
Logic: 5
Enjoyment: 6
CAWPILE: 5.29
While I still enjoyed the book, I much prefer the first book and would have been perfect content not having the second book.
Atmosphere: 5
Writing: 5
Plot: 5
Intrigue: 5
Logic: 5
Enjoyment: 6
CAWPILE: 5.29
While I still enjoyed the book, I much prefer the first book and would have been perfect content not having the second book.
Merged review:
Character: 6
Atmosphere: 5
Writing: 5
Plot: 5
Intrigue: 5
Logic: 5
Enjoyment: 6
CAWPILE: 5.29
While I still enjoyed the book, I much prefer the first book and would have been perfect content not having the second book.
rach_salza's review against another edition
3.0
I loved East and read it multiple times growing up. When I re-read it recently as an adult, I still loved it, and I think that intense love of the first book colored my reaction to West. I think West was an interesting adventure, but it doesn't compare to East in my opinion. I like it, but if it had never been written I probably wouldn't have cried. That being said, it's a good book and I think anyone who loved East should read it.
yazthebookish's review against another edition
5.0
5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rose’s story had not ended where I thought it had. Not by a long shot. Of course stories never do. There are always thousands of details, small and meaningful, that follow a happy ending, or what one believes to be a happy ending.
Parting with a book you have grown to love is such a bittersweet feeling, and I was happy and sad by the time I turned the last page because it means all these characters' journeys had come to an end.
• The setting was as vivid and lush as it was in the first book. Edith has woven more fairytales, mythologies, history and folklore to create this rich setting for the story that was nothing short of exhilarating.
• The plot was layered with multiple storylines and I’m pleased to find that we get to see Estelle’s and Sib’s POV in this one. The multiple POVs truly add more richness to the story without it weighing heavy on the main story.
• The world-building is vibrant and the stunning imagery is still present in this book. I can truly visualize these journeys while I flick through the pages as if I was an invisible companion.
• The story itself was spellbinding and packed with magic and splendor as it tells a tale of courage, love, familial bonds and sacrifice.
• The characters were fantastic and it feels like I got to known them even better. I was very glad to see that most characters were fleshed out more since it added more dimensions to them. I must say that Rose had joined my list of my all-time favorite heroines. She truly is a well-written character with her own set of characteristics that makes her very unique from many heroines I’ve read about. The only heroine that comes to mind that could be compared to her is Vasya Petrovna from The Bear and the Nightingale, who is another favorite of mine.
• The romance was not very central in this book, however Love in all its forms was. Rose’s entire journey is revolves around her love for her child, her husband, her family and her loved ones. This journey is a testament of her strength and perseverance for the sake of love. I’m very happy to see the tender moments between Rose and her White Bear and this time I am truly invested in them as a couple since I get to see more of the White Bear than I did previously.
• The troll queen makes a very compelling Villain with all her dimensions. You can’t help but feel sorry for her at times since chooses to evilness not out of the thirst for blood, but her selfishness consumes her which dictate her actions. She has no regard to the consequences of her actions thus she is left with doing whatever necessary, evil or not, to get what she wants.
If you are a fan of retellings, give this beautiful book a duology, this is a MUST-READ!!
Rose’s story had not ended where I thought it had. Not by a long shot. Of course stories never do. There are always thousands of details, small and meaningful, that follow a happy ending, or what one believes to be a happy ending.
Parting with a book you have grown to love is such a bittersweet feeling, and I was happy and sad by the time I turned the last page because it means all these characters' journeys had come to an end.
• The setting was as vivid and lush as it was in the first book. Edith has woven more fairytales, mythologies, history and folklore to create this rich setting for the story that was nothing short of exhilarating.
• The plot was layered with multiple storylines and I’m pleased to find that we get to see Estelle’s and Sib’s POV in this one. The multiple POVs truly add more richness to the story without it weighing heavy on the main story.
• The world-building is vibrant and the stunning imagery is still present in this book. I can truly visualize these journeys while I flick through the pages as if I was an invisible companion.
• The story itself was spellbinding and packed with magic and splendor as it tells a tale of courage, love, familial bonds and sacrifice.
• The characters were fantastic and it feels like I got to known them even better. I was very glad to see that most characters were fleshed out more since it added more dimensions to them. I must say that Rose had joined my list of my all-time favorite heroines. She truly is a well-written character with her own set of characteristics that makes her very unique from many heroines I’ve read about. The only heroine that comes to mind that could be compared to her is Vasya Petrovna from The Bear and the Nightingale, who is another favorite of mine.
• The romance was not very central in this book, however Love in all its forms was. Rose’s entire journey is revolves around her love for her child, her husband, her family and her loved ones. This journey is a testament of her strength and perseverance for the sake of love. I’m very happy to see the tender moments between Rose and her White Bear and this time I am truly invested in them as a couple since I get to see more of the White Bear than I did previously.
• The troll queen makes a very compelling Villain with all her dimensions. You can’t help but feel sorry for her at times since chooses to evilness not out of the thirst for blood, but her selfishness consumes her which dictate her actions. She has no regard to the consequences of her actions thus she is left with doing whatever necessary, evil or not, to get what she wants.
If you are a fan of retellings, give this beautiful book a duology, this is a MUST-READ!!
sarah_taleweaver's review against another edition
3.0
First off: the continuity error was not actually a continuity error. I misinterpreted the placement of this book within the events of the last chapter of East. I apologize to anyone I mislead.
Second: this is a good sequel to East. Neither book is exactly my favorite fairy tale retelling ever, but not because of the plot or because of any lack of originality. The plots are excellent; the takes on the fairy tales are quite unique and enjoyable; and I love the presence of the different cultures and mythologies within the story. The characters are good, and Rose is an excellent heroine . . . but, as in East, there are really too many POVs for my taste. Plus, though the voices are distinct from each other, they all seem kind of flat somehow. Like, there's emotion, but never in such a way that I feel that emotion too. My strongest feelings during the book were typically when I got mad at the villain for some action she took. That might just be me, though, because I know people who really love these books and connected well with the characters.
Second: this is a good sequel to East. Neither book is exactly my favorite fairy tale retelling ever, but not because of the plot or because of any lack of originality. The plots are excellent; the takes on the fairy tales are quite unique and enjoyable; and I love the presence of the different cultures and mythologies within the story. The characters are good, and Rose is an excellent heroine . . . but, as in East, there are really too many POVs for my taste. Plus, though the voices are distinct from each other, they all seem kind of flat somehow. Like, there's emotion, but never in such a way that I feel that emotion too. My strongest feelings during the book were typically when I got mad at the villain for some action she took. That might just be me, though, because I know people who really love these books and connected well with the characters.
eashultz14's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those cases where I feel that the book was good, but I was not the intended audience.
I was excited to be immersed back in the world of East with the characters we had met in that book. It was good to “see” them again, although I ultimately would have preferred to have left things the way they were at the end of the first book.
The overall plot of West was interesting in a lot of ways and incorporated more folklore, but there were big portions of the book that didn’t sit right with me.
Without giving any spoilers, I thought that this book described too much hardship that didn’t end up feeling like it was worth it in the end. As an adult, I don’t want to escape to a fantasy world where people (especially children) are being hurt, maimed, or killed. There is so much of that in the real world, and I don’t want to subject myself to more of it via fiction.
With that being said, this is a book aimed at young adults. I think that there is incredible value in children and young adults being exposed to stories where characters overcome great hardships. I would absolutely recommend this to any younger reader who enjoyed East, and I probably would have enjoyed it myself when I was younger.
Well done to Edith Pattou on another well-written book, but I personally won’t be re-reading this one!
I was excited to be immersed back in the world of East with the characters we had met in that book. It was good to “see” them again, although I ultimately would have preferred to have left things the way they were at the end of the first book.
The overall plot of West was interesting in a lot of ways and incorporated more folklore, but there were big portions of the book that didn’t sit right with me.
Without giving any spoilers, I thought that this book described too much hardship that didn’t end up feeling like it was worth it in the end. As an adult, I don’t want to escape to a fantasy world where people (especially children) are being hurt, maimed, or killed. There is so much of that in the real world, and I don’t want to subject myself to more of it via fiction.
With that being said, this is a book aimed at young adults. I think that there is incredible value in children and young adults being exposed to stories where characters overcome great hardships. I would absolutely recommend this to any younger reader who enjoyed East, and I probably would have enjoyed it myself when I was younger.
Well done to Edith Pattou on another well-written book, but I personally won’t be re-reading this one!
burstnwithbooks's review against another edition
2.0
I was never really that attached to any of the characters from East, and the plot is what kept me going in the first book. The second book’s plot was relatively boring to me, so the characters drove the book, but I didn’t care very much for them. Suffice to say I’m glad I listened to the audio... and I’m glad it’s over.