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2.95 AVERAGE
2.95 AVERAGE
It took me 5 years to write this book because this was my first novel. I had to learn so much about writing fiction. I took courses, went to conferences, hired editors and manuscript assessors. I can't remember how many times I edited this one. But in the end it paid off. I wanted to write a story so that my daughter could learn about her heritage when she's older. I enjoyed taking Karina on this journey and I hope you will too.
1.5 - 2 stars
✔️a book written by a Filipino author
I think I've emphasized enough that I'm not a fan of YA but there are times when I just want to read one. I just find myself in that mood, ya know? So I picked this one up because my bestfriend (Hi Beryl Andrea!!!) recommended it to me. She thought I'd love it because the book is all about Philippine mythology and I love, and I mean LOVE, Philippine mythology.
But I didn't enjoy it as much. For one, there were minor inconsistencies and several repetitions (esp with Karina's sentiments about the goings-on in her life). One inconsistency I can recall is the color of Jason's eyes. First, they were described as "piercing green with a hint of blue" (side note: I know it's such a tiny detail but how could Karina have observed the specifications of his eye color when she watched him from a distance? Unless she got up close and stared at him? I must have missed something? I don't know??). Later on in the book, his eyes had flecks of gold in them. What? Whaaat? Or maybe I'm overthinking this? It just bothered me. It wouldn't have if it wasn't such an obvious thing to me.
But anyway.
I also had problems with the transitions - one scene to another, one chunky dialogue to another. They weren't handled very well. Moreover, the dialogues felt a bit awkward and unnatural (?). Like no way people talk like this. Some of them are stiff or rigid, if that makes sense? And the jokes. Oh gosh, the jokes. They felt forced and weren't funny at all. At all.
Another problematic thing for me was how everything was just thrown at me right from the beginning. Sure there was a bit of tension but it made the what were supposed to be exciting parts anticlimactic. Like I wasn't even surprised of Karina's family background or Jason's big secret. I saw them coming. The details that were supposed to give life and magic to the story didn't live up to what they were supposed to do. The narration wasn't anything special, more telling than showing, the writing rather monotonous. The characters fell a bit flat as well. Everybody was forgettable. There was little distinction among characters especially with their dialogues. They all sounded almost the same. More importantly though is the fact that none of them seemed believable to me. They felt artificial and uninteresting which I guess was why I wasn't invested enough. Karina and Jason didn't have an ounce of chemistry between them; I didn't care about their relationship. Or anyone really.
I did enjoy the mythological aspects of this one. But not as much as Naermyth. I wish Levis explored and expounded the mythology instead of coming up with cardboard cutouts of the more prominent creatures. It's such a shame because Philippine mythology has such a diverse and fascinating bunch of creatures and monsters.
Last thing. I know the "Filipino-ness" of the book doesn't matter; but for this one, it kinda does. At least for me. I don't know why but the book didn't feel Filipino at all despite the various details that would make it Filipino. The setting didn't work; the mythology, although pretty good but scarcely detailed, seemed disconnected. And every time the Engkanto or the half-Filipino characters spoke, I hear them speaking the Filipino words in an English accent (Lolo sounds like low-low, manananggal sounds like me-ney-neyng-gall). My own doing, for sure, but it's annoying.
So am I going to read the second book when it comes out? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
✔️a book written by a Filipino author
I think I've emphasized enough that I'm not a fan of YA but there are times when I just want to read one. I just find myself in that mood, ya know? So I picked this one up because my bestfriend (Hi Beryl Andrea!!!) recommended it to me. She thought I'd love it because the book is all about Philippine mythology and I love, and I mean LOVE, Philippine mythology.
But I didn't enjoy it as much. For one, there were minor inconsistencies and several repetitions (esp with Karina's sentiments about the goings-on in her life). One inconsistency I can recall is the color of Jason's eyes. First, they were described as "piercing green with a hint of blue" (side note: I know it's such a tiny detail but how could Karina have observed the specifications of his eye color when she watched him from a distance? Unless she got up close and stared at him? I must have missed something? I don't know??). Later on in the book, his eyes had flecks of gold in them. What? Whaaat? Or maybe I'm overthinking this? It just bothered me. It wouldn't have if it wasn't such an obvious thing to me.
But anyway.
I also had problems with the transitions - one scene to another, one chunky dialogue to another. They weren't handled very well. Moreover, the dialogues felt a bit awkward and unnatural (?). Like no way people talk like this. Some of them are stiff or rigid, if that makes sense? And the jokes. Oh gosh, the jokes. They felt forced and weren't funny at all. At all.
Another problematic thing for me was how everything was just thrown at me right from the beginning. Sure there was a bit of tension but it made the what were supposed to be exciting parts anticlimactic. Like I wasn't even surprised of Karina's family background or Jason's big secret. I saw them coming. The details that were supposed to give life and magic to the story didn't live up to what they were supposed to do. The narration wasn't anything special, more telling than showing, the writing rather monotonous. The characters fell a bit flat as well. Everybody was forgettable. There was little distinction among characters especially with their dialogues. They all sounded almost the same. More importantly though is the fact that none of them seemed believable to me. They felt artificial and uninteresting which I guess was why I wasn't invested enough. Karina and Jason didn't have an ounce of chemistry between them; I didn't care about their relationship. Or anyone really.
I did enjoy the mythological aspects of this one. But not as much as Naermyth. I wish Levis explored and expounded the mythology instead of coming up with cardboard cutouts of the more prominent creatures. It's such a shame because Philippine mythology has such a diverse and fascinating bunch of creatures and monsters.
Last thing. I know the "Filipino-ness" of the book doesn't matter; but for this one, it kinda does. At least for me. I don't know why but the book didn't feel Filipino at all despite the various details that would make it Filipino. The setting didn't work; the mythology, although pretty good but scarcely detailed, seemed disconnected. And every time the Engkanto or the half-Filipino characters spoke, I hear them speaking the Filipino words in an English accent (Lolo sounds like low-low, manananggal sounds like me-ney-neyng-gall). My own doing, for sure, but it's annoying.
So am I going to read the second book when it comes out? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
*2.5 STARS
This is the first Filipino Mythology Fantasy book I’ve ever read and I really had high expectations for this one. Upon reading the synopsis of the book, I instantly thought that I would love this book since I was starting to like fantasy. While reading, I also did notice the confusing timeframe of the story. The first chapter started at June 2015 and around Chapter 13 or 14 it was stated that there are 5 weeks left for her training (she had to undergo 3 months of training). But on the following chapters, it was still June 2015. Confusing right? Also, even if she was in the middle of training during the 1st Chapter, the setting should not be still “June 2015” for the latter chapters (if my calculations are right). In addition, the characters were residing in America but they‘re attending school in June, which should have been a school break.
The climax was very brief and it felt so rush. The love line was okay but I think it was not necessary for this book and hoped the author focused on the world build up instead. I hate to say it, but sadly, it did not lived up to my expectations and find it lacking in the world build up and character development.
This is the first Filipino Mythology Fantasy book I’ve ever read and I really had high expectations for this one. Upon reading the synopsis of the book, I instantly thought that I would love this book since I was starting to like fantasy. While reading, I also did notice the confusing timeframe of the story. The first chapter started at June 2015 and around Chapter 13 or 14 it was stated that there are 5 weeks left for her training (she had to undergo 3 months of training). But on the following chapters, it was still June 2015. Confusing right? Also, even if she was in the middle of training during the 1st Chapter, the setting should not be still “June 2015” for the latter chapters (if my calculations are right). In addition, the characters were residing in America but they‘re attending school in June, which should have been a school break.
The climax was very brief and it felt so rush. The love line was okay but I think it was not necessary for this book and hoped the author focused on the world build up instead. I hate to say it, but sadly, it did not lived up to my expectations and find it lacking in the world build up and character development.
As other reviewers have said, I wanted so badly to love this book. I liked it, certainly, but I can't say I loved it.
Let me start by saying it means the world to me to have a book that utilizes Filipino mythology and has a Filipina protagonist. I picked this up partially because I'm wanting to broaden my understanding of my heritage's folklore, and this offered a few more nuggets that I hadn't previously known. (I will have to check to see if those nuggets are truly based in the mythology or are made up for the purposes of the book, but that's another story.) I genuinely want Lewis to continue writing in this world and intend to read the sequel regardless of the fact I "only" liked it, as .I think much of my quibbles come from inexperience in novel writing more than anything else
That said, my quibbles:
1) A more personal, your mileage may vary sort of issue, but unless a book is written for middle school reading level or younger I really don't find it appropriate to write in first person perspective. It just feels more juvenile and I really dislike reading anything meant for older than that age range written in it. Although, as I reflect on the language used, maybe this was meant to be juvenile-- I thought at first that it might be meant more for a high school reading level, but with the word choice/way it read, it might be more middle school after all. Not certain if that's what Lewis intended, but at least in that case there might be more consistency
2) Keeping the timeline straight in the beginning of this book was a struggle. The "flashback" pages discussing things that happened before the novel starts would have been easy enough to adjust to on their own. However, the timing of, which the book opens with, confused me. As Karina caught us up on her background and how she discovered her powers/the aftermath of that, the way that those chapters were written made me think that event happened at a different point than it ended up being, and it was jarring. I got over it once we were moving more "in time" with her, though.
3) Pacing. Probably my biggest issue with this book. I genuinely can't tell you if it moved too slow or too fast overall because it just really was very off. On the one hand, the speed with which Karina excelled at her powers stretched my suspension of disbelief a bit too far. On the other, some of the plot elements like felt way too rushed. There were a lot of different threads throughout the book that, although they wrapped up decently, were a little difficult to feel entirely properly developed in the amount of time we had. Since Lewis was already planning on making this a series, it might have been more valuable to hone in on one narrative thread for the duration of this novel-- Perhaps . That would have given both the plot and character development more time to breathe and feel less odd.
All this said, the value I find in a book based in Filipino mythology was too much not to finish it regardless of the issues I had, and there were a great many things I did love. The devotion to family shown by Karina and her mother in particular rang very true to my own experience, and I loved what she did at the end of the novel as a result of that devotion. As I stated above, I'm still going to read the sequel, and I hope that maybe the responses Lewis has received from this book in addition to the experience she now has will help to clean up some of the issues I had with the first.
Let me start by saying it means the world to me to have a book that utilizes Filipino mythology and has a Filipina protagonist. I picked this up partially because I'm wanting to broaden my understanding of my heritage's folklore, and this offered a few more nuggets that I hadn't previously known. (I will have to check to see if those nuggets are truly based in the mythology or are made up for the purposes of the book, but that's another story.) I genuinely want Lewis to continue writing in this world and intend to read the sequel regardless of the fact I "only" liked it, as .I think much of my quibbles come from inexperience in novel writing more than anything else
That said, my quibbles:
1) A more personal, your mileage may vary sort of issue, but unless a book is written for middle school reading level or younger I really don't find it appropriate to write in first person perspective. It just feels more juvenile and I really dislike reading anything meant for older than that age range written in it. Although, as I reflect on the language used, maybe this was meant to be juvenile-- I thought at first that it might be meant more for a high school reading level, but with the word choice/way it read, it might be more middle school after all. Not certain if that's what Lewis intended, but at least in that case there might be more consistency
2) Keeping the timeline straight in the beginning of this book was a struggle. The "flashback" pages discussing things that happened before the novel starts would have been easy enough to adjust to on their own. However, the timing of
Spoiler
the first manananggal attack3) Pacing. Probably my biggest issue with this book. I genuinely can't tell you if it moved too slow or too fast overall because it just really was very off. On the one hand, the speed with which Karina excelled at her powers stretched my suspension of disbelief a bit too far. On the other, some of the plot elements like
Spoiler
her romance with Jason or finding her motherSpoiler
her romance with Jason and her discovery that he was part-aswangAll this said, the value I find in a book based in Filipino mythology was too much not to finish it regardless of the issues I had, and there were a great many things I did love. The devotion to family shown by Karina and her mother in particular rang very true to my own experience, and I loved what she did at the end of the novel as a result of that devotion. As I stated above, I'm still going to read the sequel, and I hope that maybe the responses Lewis has received from this book in addition to the experience she now has will help to clean up some of the issues I had with the first.
adventurous
informative
mysterious
fast-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
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
I honestly, genuinely wanted to like this book. I mean, it's written by a Filipino author and is about the engkanto. Sure, the blurb at the back made the book seem like a relentless incarnation of literally every YA supernatural trope in existence (social outcast girl turns out to be the only hope for the magical world). And sure, the first few pages don't have the best writing. But I was hopeful. I wanted to give this book a chance.
Unfortunately, halfway through the novel, I realized that I simply couldn't like the book because there was nothing in the book for me to like.
SPOILERS ahead, I guess.
The Writing
The long and the short of it is... the writing is abysmal. Everything from the clunky way the sentences flowed, weird word choices, confusing tone, jarring transitions, sluggish pace, incoherent timeline - everything about it just kept me out of the story. It's just incompetent story telling, to be honest. There were even technical errors like misspellings (my favorite being "Vomiting blood or puss*") and several instances of violating the multi-paragraph quotation rule.
However, my biggest gripe with the writing is the mismanaged timeline. Probably the best example of this is on the opening few pages. The novel has a cold opening, jumping right into the action in the "present". Record scratch. Freeze frame. Yup, that's the MC. You're probably wondering how she and her friends got into this mess. Well, let's start at the beginning. Well, actually, let's start before the beginning for like a few paragraphs or something. Then we're back to the beginning, the night before MC's 16th birthday (because things always happen to teenagers). While we're in this flashback, let's flashback some more, flashforward a bit, flashback to a couple of years, then, after a song and a dance, we'll go back to the "present," where all the action is... which we'll resolved in a page or so. Then MC and friends go to sleep.
Confused? SO WAS I.
Usually, I'm all for non-linear stories but this was just ridiculous. There were flashbacks WITHIN flashbacks. And not even really necessary flashbacks, just to recall (in detail) how MC became friends with her friends.
Reality Violations
The story is set in San Francisco, USA (which doesn't really matter or anything but we'll get to that in a second) and the MC, like all YA heroines, still go to high school. The problem is, the book tells us that it's June. A quick Google search will tell you that American schools close for summer break at around that time. And the characters continue going to school weeks into June, with no indication of summer break coming soon. Plus, another weird thing about MC's supposedly American (and I'm going to assume public) school? THEY HAVE UNIFORMS. That's not a thing in most American schools.
To top it all off, a couple of chapters in, MC tells us that about six weeks after her birthday (in June) have passed yet when they found her mother later in the book, a "news report" tells us that it's STILL JUNE. I'm no mathematician but even I know that that doesn't add up.
The Setting and why it didn't matter
As mentioned, this story about engkantos and Filipino mythological creatures is set in the west. However, it could have happened in Mars for all we'd know. Absolutely nothing is affected by the foreign setting. Not the main character. Not her friends. Not her family. Not even the Filipino magical creatures. The story exists in a vacuum that resembles only the basic aspects of the real world.
It's obvious that the author is following the Philippine school year (June-April). The MC never really thinks about the Philippines and how different the culture is in the west. The MC's white friends are never confused about anything supposedly Filipino related. Heck, the Filipino magical creatures (including her lolo) don't even seem perplexed about the western world. And while we're at it, what language are these creatures speaking in? English? Why? How?
This concept of having Filipino creatures in a foreign country could have been really interesting if it was explored more. But it wasn't. What we did get was pages and pages of a stupid love story that was forced and bland. Priorities.
Worldbuilding
Just a short bit (edit: I lied. this is one of the longest bit) since this is mostly related to the previous bit. The Master Archetype, I mean, Lolo said that Engkantasia is a world that exists separate from the human world.
This has some... implications.
1.) By "world" does he mean actual world? like not just a country or an area or whatever? Because the way he described it (with clans and only one King to rule them all), it seems pretty small. And if it's really a huge world, why would there be only one king? Wouldn't clans break off from the monarchy and start their own country? Because I feel like other creatures wouldn't be too cool with following foreign authority. Also, it is kinda classist to only have engkantos rule. What would they know of the plight of the tikbalang? The duwende? The sirena? Those hoity-toity engkantos don't, that's what. VIVA LA REVOLUCION!
2.) Assuming that Engkantasia isn't geographically located in the Philippines but is, as the Lolo says, an actual literal world as big as the human world, does that mean that... Filipino myths have always had a secret monopoly on the magical world? Or do other culture's myths have their own worlds too? Do they every overlap? Why not?
3.) If it's always been so, why are Engkantasia denizens spotted only in Philippine mythology? There's plenty of centaurs in other myths but not a lot of tikbalang. Same goes with the tiyanak. If their world isn't confined to just the Philippines, why don't they go somewhere else? Somewhere the royal family don't normally look? It can't be that hard. In the novel, clan leaders got to San Francisco without any problems, supposedly because their "portal" or whatever can take them anywhere in the human world, right? So... why have they just been popping up in the Philippines?
Characters
There's not much I can write about this section because the characters are just so... uninteresting. The MC has little to no personality. At one point, the MC tells us that she's super clumsy and uncoordinated and I was legit expecting something to come out of it. Well, nothing came out of it. And yeah, clumsy is like the worst non-character trait out there but at least it would have been something.
The Story
I firmly believe that no matter how weak or ineffective the writing is, a good story can still shine through. Unfortunately, this book doesn't really have a decent enough story to begin with so...
And do I really need to explain why? I mean, if you read the summary (and have seen or read anything with a similar premise), you can figure out what happens in the book. It's that predictable and cliched.
Seriously What Even Was This Book
Other reviewers have pointed out that for a Filipino novel that tackled Filipino mythological creatures, there just isn't anything very Filipino about this novel. Not the voice of the narrator. Not the characters. Not even the story itself. Which is a real shame because a story like this could have resonated with young migrant Filipinos trying to figure out their own identity. The MC being pressured to take on the role that her lineage forces on her could have been a great metaphor for Fil-am kids struggling to accept their cultural identity (especially those who've never set foot in their homeland).
Maybe the author didn't want to alienate non-Filipino readers and I can understand that. But by making a story for everyone, you kind of end up with a story for no one. This book isn't for Filipinos or for Fil-ams and I can't see how non-Filipinos could connect with the story either.
The epilogue teased a sequel and I think it's already out but I highly doubt I'd be picking it up any time soon. If it's anything like the first book, I'll pass.
Unfortunately, halfway through the novel, I realized that I simply couldn't like the book because there was nothing in the book for me to like.
SPOILERS ahead, I guess.
The Writing
The long and the short of it is... the writing is abysmal. Everything from the clunky way the sentences flowed, weird word choices, confusing tone, jarring transitions, sluggish pace, incoherent timeline - everything about it just kept me out of the story. It's just incompetent story telling, to be honest. There were even technical errors like misspellings (my favorite being "Vomiting blood or puss*") and several instances of violating the multi-paragraph quotation rule.
However, my biggest gripe with the writing is the mismanaged timeline. Probably the best example of this is on the opening few pages. The novel has a cold opening, jumping right into the action in the "present". Record scratch. Freeze frame. Yup, that's the MC. You're probably wondering how she and her friends got into this mess. Well, let's start at the beginning. Well, actually, let's start before the beginning for like a few paragraphs or something. Then we're back to the beginning, the night before MC's 16th birthday (because things always happen to teenagers). While we're in this flashback, let's flashback some more, flashforward a bit, flashback to a couple of years, then, after a song and a dance, we'll go back to the "present," where all the action is... which we'll resolved in a page or so. Then MC and friends go to sleep.
Confused? SO WAS I.
Usually, I'm all for non-linear stories but this was just ridiculous. There were flashbacks WITHIN flashbacks. And not even really necessary flashbacks, just to recall (in detail) how MC became friends with her friends.
Reality Violations
The story is set in San Francisco, USA (which doesn't really matter or anything but we'll get to that in a second) and the MC, like all YA heroines, still go to high school. The problem is, the book tells us that it's June. A quick Google search will tell you that American schools close for summer break at around that time. And the characters continue going to school weeks into June, with no indication of summer break coming soon. Plus, another weird thing about MC's supposedly American (and I'm going to assume public) school? THEY HAVE UNIFORMS. That's not a thing in most American schools.
To top it all off, a couple of chapters in, MC tells us that about six weeks after her birthday (in June) have passed yet when they found her mother later in the book, a "news report" tells us that it's STILL JUNE. I'm no mathematician but even I know that that doesn't add up.
The Setting and why it didn't matter
As mentioned, this story about engkantos and Filipino mythological creatures is set in the west. However, it could have happened in Mars for all we'd know. Absolutely nothing is affected by the foreign setting. Not the main character. Not her friends. Not her family. Not even the Filipino magical creatures. The story exists in a vacuum that resembles only the basic aspects of the real world.
It's obvious that the author is following the Philippine school year (June-April). The MC never really thinks about the Philippines and how different the culture is in the west. The MC's white friends are never confused about anything supposedly Filipino related. Heck, the Filipino magical creatures (including her lolo) don't even seem perplexed about the western world. And while we're at it, what language are these creatures speaking in? English? Why? How?
This concept of having Filipino creatures in a foreign country could have been really interesting if it was explored more. But it wasn't. What we did get was pages and pages of a stupid love story that was forced and bland. Priorities.
Worldbuilding
Just a short bit (edit: I lied. this is one of the longest bit) since this is mostly related to the previous bit. The Master Archetype, I mean, Lolo said that Engkantasia is a world that exists separate from the human world.
This has some... implications.
1.) By "world" does he mean actual world? like not just a country or an area or whatever? Because the way he described it (with clans and only one King to rule them all), it seems pretty small. And if it's really a huge world, why would there be only one king? Wouldn't clans break off from the monarchy and start their own country? Because I feel like other creatures wouldn't be too cool with following foreign authority. Also, it is kinda classist to only have engkantos rule. What would they know of the plight of the tikbalang? The duwende? The sirena? Those hoity-toity engkantos don't, that's what. VIVA LA REVOLUCION!
2.) Assuming that Engkantasia isn't geographically located in the Philippines but is, as the Lolo says, an actual literal world as big as the human world, does that mean that... Filipino myths have always had a secret monopoly on the magical world? Or do other culture's myths have their own worlds too? Do they every overlap? Why not?
3.) If it's always been so, why are Engkantasia denizens spotted only in Philippine mythology? There's plenty of centaurs in other myths but not a lot of tikbalang. Same goes with the tiyanak. If their world isn't confined to just the Philippines, why don't they go somewhere else? Somewhere the royal family don't normally look? It can't be that hard. In the novel, clan leaders got to San Francisco without any problems, supposedly because their "portal" or whatever can take them anywhere in the human world, right? So... why have they just been popping up in the Philippines?
Characters
There's not much I can write about this section because the characters are just so... uninteresting. The MC has little to no personality. At one point, the MC tells us that she's super clumsy and uncoordinated and I was legit expecting something to come out of it. Well, nothing came out of it. And yeah, clumsy is like the worst non-character trait out there but at least it would have been something.
The Story
I firmly believe that no matter how weak or ineffective the writing is, a good story can still shine through. Unfortunately, this book doesn't really have a decent enough story to begin with so...
And do I really need to explain why? I mean, if you read the summary (and have seen or read anything with a similar premise), you can figure out what happens in the book. It's that predictable and cliched.
Seriously What Even Was This Book
Other reviewers have pointed out that for a Filipino novel that tackled Filipino mythological creatures, there just isn't anything very Filipino about this novel. Not the voice of the narrator. Not the characters. Not even the story itself. Which is a real shame because a story like this could have resonated with young migrant Filipinos trying to figure out their own identity. The MC being pressured to take on the role that her lineage forces on her could have been a great metaphor for Fil-am kids struggling to accept their cultural identity (especially those who've never set foot in their homeland).
Maybe the author didn't want to alienate non-Filipino readers and I can understand that. But by making a story for everyone, you kind of end up with a story for no one. This book isn't for Filipinos or for Fil-ams and I can't see how non-Filipinos could connect with the story either.
The epilogue teased a sequel and I think it's already out but I highly doubt I'd be picking it up any time soon. If it's anything like the first book, I'll pass.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
As other reviewers have said, I wanted so badly to love this book. I liked it, certainly, but I can't say I loved it.
Let me start by saying it means the world to me to have a book that utilizes Filipino mythology and has a Filipina protagonist. I picked this up partially because I'm wanting to broaden my understanding of my heritage's folklore, and this offered a few more nuggets that I hadn't previously known. (I will have to check to see if those nuggets are truly based in the mythology or are made up for the purposes of the book, but that's another story.) I genuinely want Lewis to continue writing in this world and intend to read the sequel regardless of the fact I "only" liked it, as .I think much of my quibbles come from inexperience in novel writing more than anything else
That said, my quibbles:
1) A more personal, your mileage may vary sort of issue, but unless a book is written for middle school reading level or younger I really don't find it appropriate to write in first person perspective. It just feels more juvenile and I really dislike reading anything meant for older than that age range written in it. Although, as I reflect on the language used, maybe this was meant to be juvenile-- I thought at first that it might be meant more for a high school reading level, but with the word choice/way it read, it might be more middle school after all. Not certain if that's what Lewis intended, but at least in that case there might be more consistency
2) Keeping the timeline straight in the beginning of this book was a struggle. The "flashback" pages discussing things that happened before the novel starts would have been easy enough to adjust to on their own. However, the timing ofthe first manananggal attack , which the book opens with, confused me. As Karina caught us up on her background and how she discovered her powers/the aftermath of that, the way that those chapters were written made me think that event happened at a different point than it ended up being, and it was jarring. I got over it once we were moving more "in time" with her, though.
3) Pacing. Probably my biggest issue with this book. I genuinely can't tell you if it moved too slow or too fast overall because it just really was very off. On the one hand, the speed with which Karina excelled at her powers stretched my suspension of disbelief a bit too far. On the other, some of the plot elements likeher romance with Jason or finding her mother felt way too rushed. There were a lot of different threads throughout the book that, although they wrapped up decently, were a little difficult to feel entirely properly developed in the amount of time we had. Since Lewis was already planning on making this a series, it might have been more valuable to hone in on one narrative thread for the duration of this novel-- Perhaps her romance with Jason and her discovery that he was part-aswang . That would have given both the plot and character development more time to breathe and feel less odd.
All this said, the value I find in a book based in Filipino mythology was too much not to finish it regardless of the issues I had, and there were a great many things I did love. The devotion to family shown by Karina and her mother in particular rang very true to my own experience, and I loved what she did at the end of the novel as a result of that devotion. As I stated above, I'm still going to read the sequel, and I hope that maybe the responses Lewis has received from this book in addition to the experience she now has will help to clean up some of the issues I had with the first.
Let me start by saying it means the world to me to have a book that utilizes Filipino mythology and has a Filipina protagonist. I picked this up partially because I'm wanting to broaden my understanding of my heritage's folklore, and this offered a few more nuggets that I hadn't previously known. (I will have to check to see if those nuggets are truly based in the mythology or are made up for the purposes of the book, but that's another story.) I genuinely want Lewis to continue writing in this world and intend to read the sequel regardless of the fact I "only" liked it, as .I think much of my quibbles come from inexperience in novel writing more than anything else
That said, my quibbles:
1) A more personal, your mileage may vary sort of issue, but unless a book is written for middle school reading level or younger I really don't find it appropriate to write in first person perspective. It just feels more juvenile and I really dislike reading anything meant for older than that age range written in it. Although, as I reflect on the language used, maybe this was meant to be juvenile-- I thought at first that it might be meant more for a high school reading level, but with the word choice/way it read, it might be more middle school after all. Not certain if that's what Lewis intended, but at least in that case there might be more consistency
2) Keeping the timeline straight in the beginning of this book was a struggle. The "flashback" pages discussing things that happened before the novel starts would have been easy enough to adjust to on their own. However, the timing of
3) Pacing. Probably my biggest issue with this book. I genuinely can't tell you if it moved too slow or too fast overall because it just really was very off. On the one hand, the speed with which Karina excelled at her powers stretched my suspension of disbelief a bit too far. On the other, some of the plot elements like
All this said, the value I find in a book based in Filipino mythology was too much not to finish it regardless of the issues I had, and there were a great many things I did love. The devotion to family shown by Karina and her mother in particular rang very true to my own experience, and I loved what she did at the end of the novel as a result of that devotion. As I stated above, I'm still going to read the sequel, and I hope that maybe the responses Lewis has received from this book in addition to the experience she now has will help to clean up some of the issues I had with the first.