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sarahchurchmanpulido's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
dariakl15's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I cried when reading this.
chamomiledaydreams's review against another edition
4.0
Based on the title, I expected this story to be a travelogue following SkyClan's initial trek to the gorge. For that reason, I was unenthusiastic and delayed checking it out from my local library. "What more is there to say about SkyClan's journey?" I thought, "Unless the authors invent a series of tragedies that kill off characters designed just for this novella..."
All hesitation and initial misgivings aside, I was pleasantly surprised and relieved to learn that this story follows not the actual journey but the clan tensions that lead to it. It was fun and exciting to get a glimpse into original SkyClan life, especially since they see ThunderClan as an enemy rather than the home of most protagonists. The timeline felt a little muddled, however. I kept expecting there to have been a large time-skip in between chapters (or at least a decent stretch, like a week), but then there would be a line that said, "That was three days ago," and my jaw would drop open in disbelief. Still, I guess it's a statement and a testament to the cats' drama that it all happened so quickly.
I also found it entertaining to see Cloudstar interact with several former leaders, especially considering one of them boasted about being responsible for my least favorite bit of the warrior code (that the leaders' word becomes law. I could complain about quite a lot in the warrior code, but this part in particular really frustrates me, because it explains why cats such as Tigerstar and Brokenstar can still be given nine lines by their ancestors and how leaders such as Hailstar can enforce strange and unjustified rules in their clans without reprisal. I mean, what's so bad about group discussions and criticizing the single person in power? I think a leader's decisions should be open to a little scrutiny!). Still, this is a fun read and a nice supplemental to the series I enjoy.
All hesitation and initial misgivings aside, I was pleasantly surprised and relieved to learn that this story follows not the actual journey but the clan tensions that lead to it. It was fun and exciting to get a glimpse into original SkyClan life, especially since they see ThunderClan as an enemy rather than the home of most protagonists. The timeline felt a little muddled, however. I kept expecting there to have been a large time-skip in between chapters (or at least a decent stretch, like a week), but then there would be a line that said, "That was three days ago," and my jaw would drop open in disbelief. Still, I guess it's a statement and a testament to the cats' drama that it all happened so quickly.
I also found it entertaining to see Cloudstar interact with several former leaders, especially considering one of them boasted about being responsible for my least favorite bit of the warrior code (that the leaders' word becomes law. I could complain about quite a lot in the warrior code, but this part in particular really frustrates me, because it explains why cats such as Tigerstar and Brokenstar can still be given nine lines by their ancestors and how leaders such as Hailstar can enforce strange and unjustified rules in their clans without reprisal. I mean, what's so bad about group discussions and criticizing the single person in power? I think a leader's decisions should be open to a little scrutiny!). Still, this is a fun read and a nice supplemental to the series I enjoy.
kukkiineko's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
leonajasmin's review against another edition
3.0
This story was quite simple since there was less exposition about SkyClan upon its publication and it only had a small word count. I feel that made it a little more basic than some of the other Novellas, but it was interesting and had good characterisation and world building.
grandtheftautumn's review
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
blairreads3's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0