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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
felt nothing towards these characters or the story ://
A lower YA adventure with a diverse ensemble cast of teens.
The council that rules in the Citadel is corrupt, using their sway over those with the power to read minds and futures to keep the lower classes in line. The last of the rebels are dead but people who enter the Citadel are getting sick and going missing and somebody has to do something.
I really liked the magic system. From stealing people's memories, reading their minds, possible futures and prophecies, they were all used in different and very clever ways throughout the book but the best part about this story is definitely the characters.
They're a mix of teens trying to live with their parents legacies and fight for their own future and each other. I loved how fiery Cassa was. And how Alys dealt with anxiety and panic attacks. I also loved that she was asexual and her close relationship with her brother, Evander, who is her opposite in almost every way. But my favourite characters were Vesper, a conflicted but clever girl in a difficult position and Newt, the youngest, whose gay and also has what comes across as some kind of EDS/hypermobility though the negative consequences of this are only briefly touched upon.
Some things in the story did feel a little convenient (especially at the start), in the way the characters found things out, ended up in certain situations and in some of their backstories that set up what was happening. But once the story got past the first half it felt more realistic and stopped bothering me. I also felt like the world building was pretty nonexistent, it didn't really affect the plot in anyway, it just would have been nicer to be able to imagine the world at large other than the fields outside the city and the rooms inside the Citadel.
I do think that as a lower YA this isn't that much of a problem, the story definitely focused on the character's present and the adventure they were going on. Not all books need so much time spent on building the foundations, and as an adventurous romp against the rules, monsters and magic this was a great book.
Rep: POC bi brother and ace sister with anxiety/panic attacks, POC MC, gay and disabled MC (EDS/hypermobility?)
The council that rules in the Citadel is corrupt, using their sway over those with the power to read minds and futures to keep the lower classes in line. The last of the rebels are dead but people who enter the Citadel are getting sick and going missing and somebody has to do something.
I really liked the magic system. From stealing people's memories, reading their minds, possible futures and prophecies, they were all used in different and very clever ways throughout the book but the best part about this story is definitely the characters.
They're a mix of teens trying to live with their parents legacies and fight for their own future and each other. I loved how fiery Cassa was. And how Alys dealt with anxiety and panic attacks. I also loved that she was asexual and her close relationship with her brother, Evander, who is her opposite in almost every way. But my favourite characters were Vesper, a conflicted but clever girl in a difficult position and Newt, the youngest, whose gay and also has what comes across as some kind of EDS/hypermobility though the negative consequences of this are only briefly touched upon.
Some things in the story did feel a little convenient (especially at the start), in the way the characters found things out, ended up in certain situations and in some of their backstories that set up what was happening. But once the story got past the first half it felt more realistic and stopped bothering me. I also felt like the world building was pretty nonexistent, it didn't really affect the plot in anyway, it just would have been nicer to be able to imagine the world at large other than the fields outside the city and the rooms inside the Citadel.
I do think that as a lower YA this isn't that much of a problem, the story definitely focused on the character's present and the adventure they were going on. Not all books need so much time spent on building the foundations, and as an adventurous romp against the rules, monsters and magic this was a great book.
Rep: POC bi brother and ace sister with anxiety/panic attacks, POC MC, gay and disabled MC (EDS/hypermobility?)
Unique world of fantasy that was easily told in one book. Some of the characters were annoying in the beginning but it helped to not get attached. Refreshing diversity & love that is was one book & not a series !
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
*Sighs* Goddammit…
When I first started Beneath the Citadel, I immediately felt myself fall in love. This was the kind of book that I liked, the kind of badass fun ragtag group of rebels working to overthrow their corrupt government with a mix of found family sprinkled in there. And for the most part, I really did like the book, I liked the story, I liked characters (some of them), and I liked the pacing.
And then the ending happened.
Okay okay, let's start at the beginning with the characters. You have Cass Valera, the leader and the mastermind of most if not all of the plans. Alys Sera, the brains and the level headed one that can also read the future. Evander Sera, Alys' brother, the joker of the group and also the beans in a way. Newt, the pure flexible boy who is often underestimated. And then Vesper, Cassa's best friend and confidant. I loved the way they were written, I loved their interactions with each other and just their overall closeness that they had between each other. It just screamed found family to me and I loved it.
But I also hated Cassa.
Cassa was annoying, okay? Let's not beat around the bush here. She was annoying, and she's part of the reason why I'm taking off so many stars to this book. Cassa was the daughter of two of the most famous rebels that landed blows against the Citadel, and it's because of how awesome her parents were that now she feels like she can act like she is the best and smartest and oh so cool and- shut up. For the love of God, shut the hell up. I understand that when you have big shoes to fill, you gotta put up the act that you're big and bad but holy hell did Cassa go above and beyond to remind us that her parents were rebels, she has rebellion in her blood, fire in her veins and-SHUT. UP. Every chapter from Cassa's perspective was unbearable, she was haughty and she listened to no one other than herself and then blamed everyone else when things went wrong, and was just overall a conceited brat. For example, her and Evander used to date for a while and then broke up on amicable terms; now that Cass sees that Evander has moved on and is starting to make moves with Newt, she has the AUDACITY to get jealous and think of Evander as hers and Soria just makes sure to keep reminding us of the fact that Evander and Cass dated and she still kinda loves him but oh- the fire in her heart for rebellion burns brighter than-STOP. Just stop, please.
Even when Cass was taken down a peg or two, she still kept on with the haughty "I'm better than everyone" behavior and I'm just...I'm sorry, I'm all for the arrogant character archetype but this was too much. The way Cassa was written just made me feel like I wasn't supposed to like her and Soria succeeded because I hated Cassa, I really did, she didn't feel like an arrogant and cool leader, she felt like a brat that whined whenever she didn't get her way.
I'm not kidding when I'm saying that she is the main reason why I'm giving this three stars instead of four. You can't expect me to like a character that spends the entire book being an arrogant ass, abandoning her friends for the sake of glory, coming back to continue to be an ass, and then have her sacrifice herself and expect me to mourn. I can't...I can't mourn for that. Her sacrificing herself just makes me angrier and it seriously ruined the ending for me, like if I didn't know any better I would have thought that I was reading the end of Allegiant with how crappy that sacrifice ending bs was.
...Okay…I think I'm done being angry now.
Overall, I'm giving this book 3 stars. It started off so good, but Cassa and the ending absolutely ruined it for me.
When I first started Beneath the Citadel, I immediately felt myself fall in love. This was the kind of book that I liked, the kind of badass fun ragtag group of rebels working to overthrow their corrupt government with a mix of found family sprinkled in there. And for the most part, I really did like the book, I liked the story, I liked characters (some of them), and I liked the pacing.
And then the ending happened.
Okay okay, let's start at the beginning with the characters. You have Cass Valera, the leader and the mastermind of most if not all of the plans. Alys Sera, the brains and the level headed one that can also read the future. Evander Sera, Alys' brother, the joker of the group and also the beans in a way. Newt, the pure flexible boy who is often underestimated. And then Vesper, Cassa's best friend and confidant. I loved the way they were written, I loved their interactions with each other and just their overall closeness that they had between each other. It just screamed found family to me and I loved it.
But I also hated Cassa.
Cassa was annoying, okay? Let's not beat around the bush here. She was annoying, and she's part of the reason why I'm taking off so many stars to this book. Cassa was the daughter of two of the most famous rebels that landed blows against the Citadel, and it's because of how awesome her parents were that now she feels like she can act like she is the best and smartest and oh so cool and- shut up. For the love of God, shut the hell up. I understand that when you have big shoes to fill, you gotta put up the act that you're big and bad but holy hell did Cassa go above and beyond to remind us that her parents were rebels, she has rebellion in her blood, fire in her veins and-SHUT. UP. Every chapter from Cassa's perspective was unbearable, she was haughty and she listened to no one other than herself and then blamed everyone else when things went wrong, and was just overall a conceited brat. For example, her and Evander used to date for a while and then broke up on amicable terms; now that Cass sees that Evander has moved on and is starting to make moves with Newt, she has the AUDACITY to get jealous and think of Evander as hers and Soria just makes sure to keep reminding us of the fact that Evander and Cass dated and she still kinda loves him but oh- the fire in her heart for rebellion burns brighter than-STOP. Just stop, please.
Even when Cass was taken down a peg or two, she still kept on with the haughty "I'm better than everyone" behavior and I'm just...I'm sorry, I'm all for the arrogant character archetype but this was too much. The way Cassa was written just made me feel like I wasn't supposed to like her and Soria succeeded because I hated Cassa, I really did, she didn't feel like an arrogant and cool leader, she felt like a brat that whined whenever she didn't get her way.
I'm not kidding when I'm saying that she is the main reason why I'm giving this three stars instead of four. You can't expect me to like a character that spends the entire book being an arrogant ass, abandoning her friends for the sake of glory, coming back to continue to be an ass, and then have her sacrifice herself and expect me to mourn. I can't...I can't mourn for that. Her sacrificing herself just makes me angrier and it seriously ruined the ending for me, like if I didn't know any better I would have thought that I was reading the end of Allegiant with how crappy that sacrifice ending bs was.
...Okay…I think I'm done being angry now.
Overall, I'm giving this book 3 stars. It started off so good, but Cassa and the ending absolutely ruined it for me.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes