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lisaluvsliterature's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book has such a beautiful cover. And I love reading books with mythology from cultures I don’t know a lot about. There was a lot of mythology and characters from those myths spread throughout the story. The descriptions of the alternate world, the yaksha’s realm, were beautiful and created such vivid and colorful scenes in my head as I read. Unfortunately, I was actually a bit bored and had to push myself through the story. There were a lot of twists and turns, but not in a good way. In a way that I didn’t quite understand exactly what was happening or why something was happening. It was hard to believe that Nilesh would go so willingly into this other world with the way his character had been described, even with the horrible things he was dealing with as his family imploded. And then how Ridhi’s brother was so upset because she forgot to make cookies for his team? Once? Wow. I think it was a younger brother, but still, that was a little over the top for me.
As I said the mythology was interesting and led to some unique scenes, but overall I was unfortunately bored and had to push myself to finish, basically skimming towards the end almost just to get finished.
As I said the mythology was interesting and led to some unique scenes, but overall I was unfortunately bored and had to push myself to finish, basically skimming towards the end almost just to get finished.
jenniferforjoy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Recommended: for specific things
For lush descriptions of nature and magic, not for complex plot or characters
Thoughts:
This is a book that is mostly here for the vibes, and they are gorgeous. The story, the characters... those are a bit flatter. But boy, is it a pretty world to be in! The descriptions of the forest and creatures and magic is so incredibly engaging. It was so easy to imagine the scenes and items described, and I was completely immersed. And honestly, a bit longing, because they all sounded wonderful.
The downside is that the story was pretty lackluster. It took a long time for anything to happen, and by 50% of the way through I still didn't have any idea what the main conflict was meant to be. If you're coming to this for enemies to lovers romance, or for any romance, you are in the wrong place my friend. This was okay by me because I'm pretty tired of that trope, but there is no romance. There are scenes that are intended to be, they did not succeed, which is part of the eventual thin plot as well. As the story went on, things felt poorly explained at some times and awkwardly obvious at others. Things that I think were meant to be a surprise... were not. At all.
There are two main characters whose points of view we get, and I didn't really like either of them. It didn't feel like either of them grew very much in the story and the resolution felt abrupt and weirdly placed. There were two lines that collided at the end, which felt like it took away from both by making them compete for attention. Ultimately I didn't care, which isn't great for the big dramatic resolution.
There are themes of belonging at the heart of this, with Ridhi always feeling like an outside with other kids and desperately wanting to be part of the magical forest folk, and with Nilesh struggling to find a new normal after his parents split up. Interactions between those two are pretty limited though, which was a surprise as the blurb set it up like that would be a central element.
Overall this is an AMAZING book if you want something that will whisk you away to a magical location and fill your head with rich visuals of fields of flowers, fantastic night market goods, and delicious foods both real and imagines. But if you're here for any kind of compelling story or romance, well, re-calibrate those expectations.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review.
For lush descriptions of nature and magic, not for complex plot or characters
Thoughts:
This is a book that is mostly here for the vibes, and they are gorgeous. The story, the characters... those are a bit flatter. But boy, is it a pretty world to be in! The descriptions of the forest and creatures and magic is so incredibly engaging. It was so easy to imagine the scenes and items described, and I was completely immersed. And honestly, a bit longing, because they all sounded wonderful.
The downside is that the story was pretty lackluster. It took a long time for anything to happen, and by 50% of the way through I still didn't have any idea what the main conflict was meant to be. If you're coming to this for enemies to lovers romance, or for any romance, you are in the wrong place my friend. This was okay by me because I'm pretty tired of that trope, but there is no romance. There are scenes that are intended to be, they did not succeed, which is part of the eventual thin plot as well. As the story went on, things felt poorly explained at some times and awkwardly obvious at others. Things that I think were meant to be a surprise... were not. At all.
There are two main characters whose points of view we get, and I didn't really like either of them. It didn't feel like either of them grew very much in the story and the resolution felt abrupt and weirdly placed. There were two lines that collided at the end, which felt like it took away from both by making them compete for attention. Ultimately I didn't care, which isn't great for the big dramatic resolution.
There are themes of belonging at the heart of this, with Ridhi always feeling like an outside with other kids and desperately wanting to be part of the magical forest folk, and with Nilesh struggling to find a new normal after his parents split up. Interactions between those two are pretty limited though, which was a surprise as the blurb set it up like that would be a central element.
Overall this is an AMAZING book if you want something that will whisk you away to a magical location and fill your head with rich visuals of fields of flowers, fantastic night market goods, and delicious foods both real and imagines. But if you're here for any kind of compelling story or romance, well, re-calibrate those expectations.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review.
abbyrf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
This was a fun YA spin on Indian mythology with gorgeous description of the forest. It definitely plays out like many a fable, but I enjoyed it.
annab1984's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
4.5
Divining the Leaves by Shveta Thakrar is a young adult fantasy based in Hindu and Buddhist folklore with bi rep. It's lush with imagery and fragrance and flavor. At its heart, it's the story of a girl who never felt like she belongs looking for her place and a boy whose life suddenly gets less comfortable and he doesn't know how to deal, and they have to save each other, but not through romance, which is a delight. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot recommend it enough.
booksofapage's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hopereads123's review against another edition
2.0
I really should have looked into the author before requesting this arc. I read Star Child, and it was not my vibe. But, if you liked Star Child, you may like this book, too.
For reference, I am not super familiar with Indian mythology. Every creature and mythology aspect is presented as if you already know it, and, for sure, some people will. But, I didn't, and I didn't always have access to internet to look things up. I knew enough to get a vague understanding of what was happening (thank you Aru Shah books – great middle-grade fantasy with Indian mythology, if you're looking for that), but it was still very confusing.
Then, we get to the plot. Was there a plot? Kinda, maybe, who knows? It definitely wasn't a normal plot structure, and that made me feel like nothing was happening. I didn't feel much tension or suspense, and the stakes felt nonexistent. Since nothing was explained that well, it was really hard to get invested in this book.
Ridhi was a fine character. She wasn't super unique, but she did have a perfume business, which was a really cool idea. Nilish annoyed me to no end. He wasn't a consistent character, for instance, he mocked Ridhi for her love of plants but got a crush on a different character who loved plants simply because she was hot. Go character depth! I felt no sympathy for Nilesh, and his character growth felt forced.
I also didn't notice much difference between the two characters' perspectives despite them being very different people. I had a really hard time knowing who we were focusing on at the moment, and they may have confused me at some pivotal moments in the book, or as pivotal as it could be without a clear plot.
The writing style was also just hard to understand. The author used a lot of complex words to describe nothing. While I appreciate books with interesting language, I needed a dictionary way more often than I would have liked. There were lots of instances where a more recognizable word would have sufficed, which definitely annoyed me.
TLDR; The mythology was confusing, the big words every two sentences were confusing, the plot was confusing, and the characters were confusing. If you have ever wondered how much a book can truly confuse you, make sure to try this out!
In all seriousness, this book felt like it needed more fleshing out. The plot, the characters, and the romances all felt like they were missing something. Just because a book is YA doesn't mean it has to be any less impactful than other books.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins Children's Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
For reference, I am not super familiar with Indian mythology. Every creature and mythology aspect is presented as if you already know it, and, for sure, some people will. But, I didn't, and I didn't always have access to internet to look things up. I knew enough to get a vague understanding of what was happening (thank you Aru Shah books – great middle-grade fantasy with Indian mythology, if you're looking for that), but it was still very confusing.
Then, we get to the plot. Was there a plot? Kinda, maybe, who knows? It definitely wasn't a normal plot structure, and that made me feel like nothing was happening. I didn't feel much tension or suspense, and the stakes felt nonexistent. Since nothing was explained that well, it was really hard to get invested in this book.
Ridhi was a fine character. She wasn't super unique, but she did have a perfume business, which was a really cool idea. Nilish annoyed me to no end. He wasn't a consistent character, for instance, he mocked Ridhi for her love of plants but got a crush on a different character who loved plants simply because she was hot. Go character depth! I felt no sympathy for Nilesh, and his character growth felt forced.
I also didn't notice much difference between the two characters' perspectives despite them being very different people. I had a really hard time knowing who we were focusing on at the moment, and they may have confused me at some pivotal moments in the book, or as pivotal as it could be without a clear plot.
The writing style was also just hard to understand. The author used a lot of complex words to describe nothing. While I appreciate books with interesting language, I needed a dictionary way more often than I would have liked. There were lots of instances where a more recognizable word would have sufficed, which definitely annoyed me.
TLDR; The mythology was confusing, the big words every two sentences were confusing, the plot was confusing, and the characters were confusing. If you have ever wondered how much a book can truly confuse you, make sure to try this out!
In all seriousness, this book felt like it needed more fleshing out. The plot, the characters, and the romances all felt like they were missing something. Just because a book is YA doesn't mean it has to be any less impactful than other books.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins Children's Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
googles's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this! I hate to say it, but this one was not for me. The characters felt all over the place, which is fair, they are teenagers. The word, "Mummy", is now permanently engraved in my skull which is not a word I wanted engraved. The premise for the book is something I really liked. A kind of fantasy escape from the real world, but it felt disorienting. I might just not have been the right audience for this.
eastofreality's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
cobaltbookshelf's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
The book wasn't bad, just too slow and boring for me. The book starts off incredibly slow and I struggled to get hooked into this world or these characters. Overall if just felt more surface level than fully fleshed out.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book wasn't bad, just too slow and boring for me. The book starts off incredibly slow and I struggled to get hooked into this world or these characters. Overall if just felt more surface level than fully fleshed out.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.