Scan barcode
ishanimaz21's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Drug use and Sexual content
lucys_library's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
millieeharmann's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
2.5
2.5 stars because I loved half of it, and struggled with the other half. I loved Adam's story as well as his relationships. Those he held dearest to him are so easy to love and are representative of a beautiful found family where your biological family isn't.
That being said, a common thing I've noticed with Ness' writing is that he switches pov and pulls the reader out of the story. I especially noticed this with the final installment in the chaos walking trilogy, as well as this book. The side story of the faun and the queen ran completely parallel to Adam's narrative, and there was no influence over the events of either story until the final chapter. This was frustrating as the fantasy narrative had minimal context and made little sense, additionally, it seemed to only pull from some of the tensest moments in Adam's journey, cheapening the beauty of them. The story of the queen at the beginning seemed promising, however just remained flat throughout the entire story, with minimal climax.
That being said, if I were ever to reread this, I would skip the fantasy narrative completely and only read the chapters dedicated to Adam, and it would still make complete sense.
That being said, a common thing I've noticed with Ness' writing is that he switches pov and pulls the reader out of the story. I especially noticed this with the final installment in the chaos walking trilogy, as well as this book. The side story of the faun and the queen ran completely parallel to Adam's narrative, and there was no influence over the events of either story until the final chapter. This was frustrating as the fantasy narrative had minimal context and made little sense, additionally, it seemed to only pull from some of the tensest moments in Adam's journey, cheapening the beauty of them. The story of the queen at the beginning seemed promising, however just remained flat throughout the entire story, with minimal climax.
That being said, if I were ever to reread this, I would skip the fantasy narrative completely and only read the chapters dedicated to Adam, and it would still make complete sense.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
coolc4t's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
the side-plot with the girl in the forest confused me a bit. i liked the book and i saw my english teacher reading it so i read it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Death, and Drug use
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
More...