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betweentheshelves's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
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
4.0
Josefa has come up with a plan to steal a priceless artifact from the Titanic, the Rubaiyat. In order to pull it off, she had to form a team. So, she finds an artist (Emilie), an acrobat (Hinnah), and an actress (Violet). Stealing the Rubaiyat is the key for all of them to get a better life. To achieve their goals.
However, Josefa wasn't honest about the nature of the mission. Careless mistakes and a possible new romance through a wrench into their plan. When tragedy strikes the Titanic, they all realize they might be in more danger than they ever thought possible.
Thanks to HarperTeen and NetGalley for an advanced copy of A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar to review! I didn't know I needed a sapphic heist on the Titanic story, but here we are! It's a unique place to set a heist novel, but it surprisingly works really well. Knowing what happens on the Titanic adds an element of urgency to the novel, even if the characters themselves don't know it. I was impressed by Jaigirdar's pacing, and it really drove the entire story forward.
And the characters! We get four points of view throughout the book, which always runs the chance of the voices all blending together. But each of the characters felt unique enough, and they all added a new element and perspective to the story. They each have their own strengths they bring to the table. The main romance also felt natural; the two characters had excellent chemistry.
All in all, even if this book might end in tragedy, the setting and the plot at times make you forget it. I definitely recommend picking it up when it comes out in December!
However, Josefa wasn't honest about the nature of the mission. Careless mistakes and a possible new romance through a wrench into their plan. When tragedy strikes the Titanic, they all realize they might be in more danger than they ever thought possible.
Thanks to HarperTeen and NetGalley for an advanced copy of A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar to review! I didn't know I needed a sapphic heist on the Titanic story, but here we are! It's a unique place to set a heist novel, but it surprisingly works really well. Knowing what happens on the Titanic adds an element of urgency to the novel, even if the characters themselves don't know it. I was impressed by Jaigirdar's pacing, and it really drove the entire story forward.
And the characters! We get four points of view throughout the book, which always runs the chance of the voices all blending together. But each of the characters felt unique enough, and they all added a new element and perspective to the story. They each have their own strengths they bring to the table. The main romance also felt natural; the two characters had excellent chemistry.
All in all, even if this book might end in tragedy, the setting and the plot at times make you forget it. I definitely recommend picking it up when it comes out in December!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Death
Moderate: Death of parent and Racism
Minor: Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, and Sexism
rivulet027's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-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
5.0
I’ve been excited about this book since I first read about it on Twitter. It deserves so much hype! I’m a huge fan of Leverage and this felt very if Leverage pulled a heist off on the Titanic, with a bonus developing wlw pairing.
The four young women are amazing! Josefa is an accomplished thief who makes plans to steal a jewel encrusted book of poetry that’s being transported on the Titanic. Violet is an actress who often works with Josefa to supplement her income. She’s desperate to get enough money to support herself and her brother Marco, who’s about to age out of the orphanage he’d been abandoned to. Hinnah is an acrobat struggling to believe in herself. I loved discovering her backstory and her journey to becoming confident in herself. Emilie is an artist grieving the loss of her father. I loved this look at grief and how it affected Emilie and her artwork. I also loved the developing relationship between Josefa and Emilie. Adding in found family, a revenge plot, and a countdown to when the Titanic sinks made me wish I’d had the time to listen to it in one sitting! The ending was amazing, both sad and hopeful.
The audiobook I listened to was a computer generated narration, which meant that it was read without emphasis, so I’m really looking forward to listening to it again when it comes out with the actual narrator in December. I’ve already pre-ordered a copy and recommended it to my local library.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the advanced review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
Minor: Abandonment, Classism, and Sexism
ezwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Josefa, Emilie, Hinnah, and Violet all come together to pull off a heist with a big payout on board the Titanic. Josefa is the mastermind thief who brings them all together, Emilie the artist to help create maps and documents, Hinnah is an acrobat, and Violet is a grifter. Even though they're all virtually strangers, they work together to steal a prized and jeweled book of poems to sell for a high price and be able to achieve the lives they've been searching for.
If you're a fan of the show Leverage, I highly recommend this book for you. The story starts with pulling our begrudging team to work togetherm all the way through to the end where they realize they've found a family in each other.
I loved the way Emilie and Josefa's relationship developed over the course of the book. And I especially loved the relationships between all four girls, they all have had struggles in life and once they realize none of them have had an easy go of it, they develop closer and more protective bonds and the end had me in tears.
Listening to the audiobook without the designated narrator and the synthesized voice provided by NetGalley was a bizarre experience, but I liked it none the less.
Thank you to Net Galley for making this book available in exchange for an honest review!
If you're a fan of the show Leverage, I highly recommend this book for you. The story starts with pulling our begrudging team to work togetherm all the way through to the end where they realize they've found a family in each other.
I loved the way Emilie and Josefa's relationship developed over the course of the book. And I especially loved the relationships between all four girls, they all have had struggles in life and once they realize none of them have had an easy go of it, they develop closer and more protective bonds and the end had me in tears.
Listening to the audiobook without the designated narrator and the synthesized voice provided by NetGalley was a bizarre experience, but I liked it none the less.
Thank you to Net Galley for making this book available in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Death
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual assault, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Sexism, and Death of parent
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