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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
2.5 / C-
Meh. I wanted to like this YA fantasy more than I did. The world building was confusing and the plot had too many holes for me to suspend disbelief. The bi rep also felt like wallpaper to me. I’m not ace or aro but I think that rep was ok, if a little subtle.
My biggest problem with this book is one that seems to be typical of fantasy YA - the world building is a mess and the politics are painted in very broad strokes.
Meh. I wanted to like this YA fantasy more than I did. The world building was confusing and the plot had too many holes for me to suspend disbelief. The bi rep also felt like wallpaper to me. I’m not ace or aro but I think that rep was ok, if a little subtle.
My biggest problem with this book is one that seems to be typical of fantasy YA - the world building is a mess and the politics are painted in very broad strokes.
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:
No
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
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
Very good book, although some of the side characters needed a bit more depth 👌
3.5 rounded up
The premise sounded interesting and the magic system felt different and fresh from what I've read before, but the world and the characters felt lacking. I wanted to love these characters, but I was finding myself feeling like I was watching events play out through glass. There wasn't a spark (pun intended) for any of the characters for me. I wanted to know more about the magic system and I would have loved an expansion on how Ingrid's body reacted to Flare. It was mentioned briefly a few times how it wasn't exactly a normal reaction, but that was it. No further exploration of it. Can other people syphon Flare out of other people or was that something special to Ingrid? The description and explanation of Alex's gender identity felt muddled and I didn't quite follow, but I think he's non-binary, which I mean, awesome!
I found myself drifting a lot, especially in the middle and would have to go back and reread whole passages a few times in order to get what happened, but that could very much be a me problem more than a book problem. I've not been entirely focused on any one thing as of late.
Despite these issues, I really enjoyed myself overall and I really loved a happy ending.
The premise sounded interesting and the magic system felt different and fresh from what I've read before, but the world and the characters felt lacking. I wanted to love these characters, but I was finding myself feeling like I was watching events play out through glass. There wasn't a spark (pun intended) for any of the characters for me. I wanted to know more about the magic system and I would have loved an expansion on how Ingrid's body reacted to Flare. It was mentioned briefly a few times how it wasn't exactly a normal reaction, but that was it. No further exploration of it. Can other people syphon Flare out of other people or was that something special to Ingrid? The description and explanation of Alex's gender identity felt muddled and I didn't quite follow, but I think he's non-binary, which I mean, awesome!
I found myself drifting a lot, especially in the middle and would have to go back and reread whole passages a few times in order to get what happened, but that could very much be a me problem more than a book problem. I've not been entirely focused on any one thing as of late.
Despite these issues, I really enjoyed myself overall and I really loved a happy ending.
adventurous
hopeful
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
Genuinely so torn between 2 and 3 stars, because the ingredients are all there for such a fun, exciting story - jazz age fantasy! West Wing-esque political intrigue! Speakeasy magic! Eat the rich but cook them first! - but when mixed together, they fail to produce the delicious treat I was hoping for. Plot holes big enough to drive a flare-powered train through, a protagonist we're constantly told is sooo smart but who never seems able to figure out the most basic things, unfortunately simplistic political intrigue...
The visuals of the opening scene, with bootleg magic and people shooting off fireworks from their fingertips in a speakeasy, are fantastic, but not enough to sustain an entire book. I was ultimately disappointed, but hope it finds a reader base for whom the characters (and that aesthetic!) resonate strongly enough to overcome the flimsy plot.
Thank you Scholastic Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The visuals of the opening scene, with bootleg magic and people shooting off fireworks from their fingertips in a speakeasy, are fantastic, but not enough to sustain an entire book. I was ultimately disappointed, but hope it finds a reader base for whom the characters (and that aesthetic!) resonate strongly enough to overcome the flimsy plot.
Thank you Scholastic Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The beginning was interesting but I’m not sure if I’ll come back to it. Not sure if this is the book for me personally.
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Misogyny, Violence
First of all, I loved this book.
Ingrid is a teen, who is really just starting to figure herself out, and we are shown that throughout the book. There are little points in time where we see her grow and learn and grow from her mistakes. I feel that so often in books, this is overlooked, and I was very glad it was written well in this book.
I loved seeing Ingrid's relationships change throughout the book, and the emotional connections she formed with the other characters. In particular, I really liked the representation of different identities, and how realistic everyone was. Everyone had a purpose, a place, and their sexuality, gender, or social status wasn't all that they were.
I'm not usually a person who likes books with political topics as center pieces, but this was very well done. I saw where it related to current situations and really appreciated that no info dumps occurred to explain the climate, just this is what's happening, and this is what the character knows and learns. We see things unfold as if we were part of this society and already know how it works, without being completely ignored.
All in all, I loved this book, and am already eagerly waiting for another.
Ingrid is a teen, who is really just starting to figure herself out, and we are shown that throughout the book. There are little points in time where we see her grow and learn and grow from her mistakes. I feel that so often in books, this is overlooked, and I was very glad it was written well in this book.
I loved seeing Ingrid's relationships change throughout the book, and the emotional connections she formed with the other characters. In particular, I really liked the representation of different identities, and how realistic everyone was. Everyone had a purpose, a place, and their sexuality, gender, or social status wasn't all that they were.
I'm not usually a person who likes books with political topics as center pieces, but this was very well done. I saw where it related to current situations and really appreciated that no info dumps occurred to explain the climate, just this is what's happening, and this is what the character knows and learns. We see things unfold as if we were part of this society and already know how it works, without being completely ignored.
All in all, I loved this book, and am already eagerly waiting for another.