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mangocookie124's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.75
brandypainter's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
Anne Nesbet is one of those authors who always surprises me. Her book like they will be one thing, but they have so many fascinating layers. The Wrinkled Crown is my favorite book she's written yet.
Linny has been tethered to Sayra all of her life. From the moment it became obvious Linny had a talent for music, she was put at Sayra's side to keep her safe. To keep her from even picking up a Lourka and allowing her talents to be realized. In the town of Lourka if a girl even brushes against a Lourka accidentally before her twelfth birthday, she is spirited off by mysterious voices to the Away. Linny and Sayra have developed a special bond, and they have secrets. Sayra allows Linny to run free in the woods. Linny unable to resist the call of music uses these times to craft her very own Lourka. Sayra feels she's failed Linny and wishes that Linny's fate would be hers. When that is what happens, Linny feels guilty but also determined to be the one to rescue her friend. In addition to music Linny possesses another gift: she never gets lost. She can find her way anywhere. With her Lourka on her back, Linny sets out to find a way to save her friend. Even if it means leaving her home and traveling to the Plain-a place no one from Lourka has gone to and then returned from. She is reluctantly accompanied by her father's apprentice, Elias who has his own motivations for rescuing Sayra. The Plain is not a welcoming place though, and soon Linny and Elias find themselves at the center of a political battle. Linny appears to everyone to be The Girl with the Lourka, whose return everyone is eagerly awaiting so that she can right the wrongs of the world. There are people who wan to exploit her and people who want to make her disappear.
The Wrinkled Crown is first and foremost a book about relationships. Friends, sisters, mother/child, ruler/subject, it covers just about everything (except romance). Linny is at the center of most it. She is a determined girl who is sometimes thoughtless and impulsive, but always willing to work hard to reverse the mistakes she makes. Most of the other characters are not as well developed as she is. I got a strong sense of Sayra from the few pages she's in, but she is absent for most of the book. Elias is funny and a good foil for Linny, but I didn't feel he was as well rounded as Linny is. The characters all work together well to form a cohesive whole for the story though. There is more than one antagonist Linny has to face as she make her way through the Plain and people try to use her as an ends to their own means. These characters are shown to have strengths and flaws, but to be ultimately selfish in their goals. This is a contrast to Linny whose only wish is to saver her friend and go home. I liked how there were minor characters who helped her out in small ways as well. The unsung heroes who did little things to move her where she needed to be.
There is an interesting twist on genre in the book. While it is very much a fantasy novel with a quest and an apparent chosen one (this is deconstructed a bit), it could also be classified as Science Fiction. The most fascinating aspect of the book to me is that the strongest theme is magic versus science. Faith versus intellect plays a huge role too. Linny with all of the magic she brings from the wrinkled hills, loves maps and the science too. She is a part of both worlds. The book is about finding a balance between the two. They are at war with each other, but do they have to be? This is by far my favorite part of the story.
This is an excellent tale of friendship and perseverance that will appeal to lovers of fantasy quests and music.
I read an ARC made available by the publisher, Harper Children's, via Edelweiss. The Wrinkled Crown is available November 10th.
Anne Nesbet is one of those authors who always surprises me. Her book like they will be one thing, but they have so many fascinating layers. The Wrinkled Crown is my favorite book she's written yet.
Linny has been tethered to Sayra all of her life. From the moment it became obvious Linny had a talent for music, she was put at Sayra's side to keep her safe. To keep her from even picking up a Lourka and allowing her talents to be realized. In the town of Lourka if a girl even brushes against a Lourka accidentally before her twelfth birthday, she is spirited off by mysterious voices to the Away. Linny and Sayra have developed a special bond, and they have secrets. Sayra allows Linny to run free in the woods. Linny unable to resist the call of music uses these times to craft her very own Lourka. Sayra feels she's failed Linny and wishes that Linny's fate would be hers. When that is what happens, Linny feels guilty but also determined to be the one to rescue her friend. In addition to music Linny possesses another gift: she never gets lost. She can find her way anywhere. With her Lourka on her back, Linny sets out to find a way to save her friend. Even if it means leaving her home and traveling to the Plain-a place no one from Lourka has gone to and then returned from. She is reluctantly accompanied by her father's apprentice, Elias who has his own motivations for rescuing Sayra. The Plain is not a welcoming place though, and soon Linny and Elias find themselves at the center of a political battle. Linny appears to everyone to be The Girl with the Lourka, whose return everyone is eagerly awaiting so that she can right the wrongs of the world. There are people who wan to exploit her and people who want to make her disappear.
The Wrinkled Crown is first and foremost a book about relationships. Friends, sisters, mother/child, ruler/subject, it covers just about everything (except romance). Linny is at the center of most it. She is a determined girl who is sometimes thoughtless and impulsive, but always willing to work hard to reverse the mistakes she makes. Most of the other characters are not as well developed as she is. I got a strong sense of Sayra from the few pages she's in, but she is absent for most of the book. Elias is funny and a good foil for Linny, but I didn't feel he was as well rounded as Linny is. The characters all work together well to form a cohesive whole for the story though. There is more than one antagonist Linny has to face as she make her way through the Plain and people try to use her as an ends to their own means. These characters are shown to have strengths and flaws, but to be ultimately selfish in their goals. This is a contrast to Linny whose only wish is to saver her friend and go home. I liked how there were minor characters who helped her out in small ways as well. The unsung heroes who did little things to move her where she needed to be.
There is an interesting twist on genre in the book. While it is very much a fantasy novel with a quest and an apparent chosen one (this is deconstructed a bit), it could also be classified as Science Fiction. The most fascinating aspect of the book to me is that the strongest theme is magic versus science. Faith versus intellect plays a huge role too. Linny with all of the magic she brings from the wrinkled hills, loves maps and the science too. She is a part of both worlds. The book is about finding a balance between the two. They are at war with each other, but do they have to be? This is by far my favorite part of the story.
This is an excellent tale of friendship and perseverance that will appeal to lovers of fantasy quests and music.
I read an ARC made available by the publisher, Harper Children's, via Edelweiss. The Wrinkled Crown is available November 10th.
megatsunami's review against another edition
4.0
Really good fantasy, very original. The writing carries you along in the story but is also inventive and full of unexpected turns of phrase. The protagonist has a striking narrative voice. Although this is middle-grade (the protagonist is 12 and there's no "adult" material), it's very philosophical/ conceptual in a way that I appreciated as an adult reader. (My 10 year old also loved the book, so I don't think this makes it uninteresting to children.)
timefliesaway's review against another edition
2.0
Well...
The Cover is absolutely stunning and beautifully breathtaking – but does it serve the story? Not really. It does fit perfectly overall, and I wouldn’t know how to do it differently, but the illustration simply promises too much.
The story itself is quite interesting I’d say. I loved the mystery about the village Lourka, up above the hills, and the magic that surrounds the wrinkled land, but that’s quite it.
The characters are totally nerve-taking and annoying. Everyone seemed so dumb in this and every time someone opened their mouth (except the protagonist and a few other people), I wondered if they all even have a brain.
The Cover is absolutely stunning and beautifully breathtaking – but does it serve the story? Not really. It does fit perfectly overall, and I wouldn’t know how to do it differently, but the illustration simply promises too much.
The story itself is quite interesting I’d say. I loved the mystery about the village Lourka, up above the hills, and the magic that surrounds the wrinkled land, but that’s quite it.
The characters are totally nerve-taking and annoying. Everyone seemed so dumb in this and every time someone opened their mouth (except the protagonist and a few other people), I wondered if they all even have a brain.
slurmophidal's review against another edition
5.0
I know this book probably doesn't deserve five stars, but it's the first book that I have really fallen in love with. This book meant everything to me when I first read it. The worldbuilding might not be that good, but it's more than made up for with how descriptive the actual world is.
The Wrinkled Crown, I love you. Anne, I love you. Thank you for igniting my younger-self's passion for reading as a hobby and creative writing.
The Wrinkled Crown, I love you. Anne, I love you. Thank you for igniting my younger-self's passion for reading as a hobby and creative writing.
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
Linny was a "hummy baby," clearly born with music in her blood. To keep her safe, her parents tethered her to Sayra for most of the time until she was twelve. (According to the lore of their village, any girl that touches a lourka before she turns twelve will be taken Away.) Linny and Sayra considered themselves mismatched twins and both had turns in saving the other's life. But Sarya didn't keep Linny safe -- not only did Linny touch a lourka, she built one herself. And on the night before Linny's twelfth birthday, she knows that she must pay the price. But even Linny is surprised at what happens. She sets off on a journey out of their magical hills to find a cure, and ends up finding much, much more than she had bargained for. A fun adventure with an interesting underlying commentary on the junction between magic and science. Recommended for grades 4-7.
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
mckenzierichardson's review against another edition
4.0
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle
I came across an ARC of this book in a Little Free Library a little while ago and was instantly pulled in by the fantastic cover.
Now that I've read it, I'm happy to say the story is just as magnificent as the cover. The whole world Nesbet created was fantastic. It was so easy to slip into the wrinkled town of Lourka then go on an mind-bending quest with the fun, quick-witted Linny. Such an interesting and amazing story with a great cast of characters.
I really enjoyed the writing in this book. The descriptions were great and Nesbet has a way of writing things that just feels right. The style reminded me a bit of [b:The Phantom Tollbooth|378|The Phantom Tollbooth|Norton Juster|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558858485l/378._SX50_.jpg|1782584]. The narration just pulled me right in.
While this was quite a long book, it was definitely worth it. There were so many twists and turns and there was always something going on.
I'm not sure if there is a sequel planned for this book, but there is obviously more story to be told and I would love to read it. If nothing else, I am definitely going to be on the look out for more Anne Nesbet books.
I came across an ARC of this book in a Little Free Library a little while ago and was instantly pulled in by the fantastic cover.
Now that I've read it, I'm happy to say the story is just as magnificent as the cover. The whole world Nesbet created was fantastic. It was so easy to slip into the wrinkled town of Lourka then go on an mind-bending quest with the fun, quick-witted Linny. Such an interesting and amazing story with a great cast of characters.
I really enjoyed the writing in this book. The descriptions were great and Nesbet has a way of writing things that just feels right. The style reminded me a bit of [b:The Phantom Tollbooth|378|The Phantom Tollbooth|Norton Juster|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558858485l/378._SX50_.jpg|1782584]. The narration just pulled me right in.
While this was quite a long book, it was definitely worth it. There were so many twists and turns and there was always something going on.
I'm not sure if there is a sequel planned for this book, but there is obviously more story to be told and I would love to read it. If nothing else, I am definitely going to be on the look out for more Anne Nesbet books.
krayfish1's review against another edition
3.0
Three stars because I'm not the target audience.
Has an interesting voice, pretty solid plot.
Has an interesting voice, pretty solid plot.
rainbow_reader's review against another edition
4.0
*3.75
Hmm...I did like the magic vs. science aspect of the book. Overall, it was a nice novel with a decent plot. However, I felt like the characters were too young for it to be believable for me. I also think the first 100 pages were quite boring. I only got really invested in the story after a little bit. Yeah, I had a couple of other issues with it as well, but I don't want to get spoilery. Overall, I do think this is a great book for a younger audience.
Hmm...I did like the magic vs. science aspect of the book. Overall, it was a nice novel with a decent plot. However, I felt like the characters were too young for it to be believable for me. I also think the first 100 pages were quite boring. I only got really invested in the story after a little bit. Yeah, I had a couple of other issues with it as well, but I don't want to get spoilery. Overall, I do think this is a great book for a younger audience.