Reviews

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

grumblepug's review against another edition

5.0

I enjoyed this so much - a road trip novel for fantasy junkies with a female character that is prickly, ornery and interesting!

liketheverb's review against another edition

4.0

This book. Where to even start with this book. I should start by saying that while this book is technically a standalone, I highly recommend you read Hartman's previous duology (Seraphina and Shatter Scale) because it establishes important world-building that is VITAL to getting everything out of this tale.

Hartman grapples with extremely difficult and incredibly adult concepts in this story and it makes this story an important one not just for young women but also, and maybe even more important for, young men. She holds no punches in addressing rape culture and issues of toxic masculinity, and takes no prisoners.

Tess is probably the most dynamic character I've seen in a long time. She is beautifully unlikeable and delightfully contrarian and the young adult world needs more characters like her.

I read many reviews of this book and so many people DNF it. And that is a damn shame. There are times where the plot gets thin, but Tess and her story are WORTH IT.

Hartman created a beautiful world in some ways absolutely contrary to ours and in others (terrible, awful, tragic ways) is completely the same. Her beautiful prose makes Tess all the more amazing and her story all the more heart-crushing. Her story is not her burden, but her story, it is hers but does not define her. And this message is of paramount importance.

coolhandluke140's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

A really well done follow up duology to the first. Tess is loveable despite, or perhaps because of, her many flaws. Her story develops alongside flashbacks to her past, which was done very well to make the reader love her all the more for her accomplishment while also feeling for the pain of her past. 

A sometimes painful, but important look into sexual abuse, grooming, and victim blaming. The fantastical journey and self discovery alongside this is an amazing foil to the hard topics it covers. 

Highly recommended read or listen.

libraryofdreaming's review against another edition

2.0

This is a really hard book for me to rate. I found parts to be very moving and enjoyable. However, the dark and mature themes of this book were just too much for me in the end. I thought I was prepared, but I was not in the right mindset and they overwhelmed me.

After rereading the wonderful Seraphina duology, this book just didn't compare. I found the pacing to be very slow. Several plot things just happen without ultimate repayment and I found that to be rather unsatisfying. I won't deny that certain parts of this book are very well done and certainly thought-provoking. Ultimately though, after 500+ pages, I feel more unnerved than satisfied.

mellomorissa's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

sashapasha's review against another edition

5.0

Slow going at first, and very long, but worth it.

Spoiler

Will the sequel be titled Tess of the Sea?

nos22's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

bibliogirl's review against another edition

So many books, too little time! The writing is lovely, though. Maybe later.

hellobookbird's review against another edition

2.0

I was anticipating a book filled with dragons, adventure, and haunting secrets. What I got was lizard-creatures, a lot of walking, no adventure, and a whole lot of "why am I bothering to read this?"

In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, despite societal, religious, and parental pressures, is too curious and independent to properly fit into the mold everyone is trying to stuff her in. After her latest incident (almost ruining her sister's wedding by breaking an in-law's nose) her parents have had enough and arrange to have her admitted to a nunnery. Before it can come to pass, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a long road where she happens upon a childhood friend, a quigutl, who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road.

DNF @ 60%.

I confess to not having read [b: Seraphina|19549841|Seraphina (Seraphina, #1)|Rachel Hartman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387577872s/19549841.jpg|17375239] before picking up [b: Tess of the Road|33123849|Tess of the Road|Rachel Hartman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503583827s/33123849.jpg|53793345]. While I don't believe it was necessary since it follows her half-sister, I may have missed some world-building that explains how dragons/quigotl/humans fit together in society. I got the gist but it may have helped me see quigutl's as sub-species of dragons rather than the lizard-creatures I could only imagine them as. The beautiful cover SCREAMS normal dragons and I can't help but feel slightly lied to because of it.

When I started, I liked Tess. She always tried to do right by her family but always managed to somehow "screw things up" because, no matter how much her parents tried, she just can't fit the mold they wanted to stuff her in. There was always ongoing tension between her and them.

She'd always known she was particularly flawed - it was the fabric of her life - but she hadn't been bad on purpose.

However, as the book progressed, I became frustrated at the breadcrumb reveals for her "tumultuous past" and the "memories [that] threaten[ed] to expose her to the world in more ways than one." They were timed extremely weird and came way too slow.

Spoiler

Why did we have to wait for an errant thought about Seraphina's pregnancy to find out she'd been pregnant? Additionally, this reveal came with absolutely no hint about why she'd been pregnant or who she'd been involved with. That comes later...and then you have to wait multiple times to find out how that relationship even came about (and it was BORING). Spacing the breadcrumbs out doesn't make me sit on the edge of my seat to know more...it makes me frustrated because it creates so many questions without even a hint at an answer later on.

In fact, the entire pacing of the story was grueling. I kept wondering when the action was going to happen, why we kept flashing back to a relationship that DIDN'T MATTER to me, and why I was being fed piecemeal breadcrumbs of her past...only to be GOBSMACKED when (at 55%!) I figure out this isn't supposed to be an adventure to find the World Serpents...it's all about Tess learning to be at peace with herself (not the version of her that everyone tells her she should be).

"The hated innocent becomes hateful. Goodness withers when it is continuously ground underfoot. We fulfill our parents' direst prophesies, then curl around our own pain until we can't see beyond ourselves. You want to walk on? Walk out of that shadow. Walk, girl."

If I'd gone into this expecting the plot to be about Tess working through the various societal, religious, and parental pressures that have been placed on her but never seem to fit in order to find that she actually wasn't broken, or flawed, or inherently bad (despite everyone telling her so her whole life) then I would have had a completely different rate. I would have been able to focus on her growth and each of the scars that she had to tear open to heal and accept herself.

"Your credo goes further than you realized: walk on, yes, but don't walk past people who need you. Uncurl yourself, so you can see them and respond."

Recommended for coming-of-age enthusiasts and Seraphina lovers. Not recommended for adventure enthusiasts because, despite appearances, it isn't one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ali_miranda's review against another edition

3.0

Tenía reflexiones muy buenas (que encima no eran forzadas dentro de la trama y eso se agradece) pero me ha parecido muy lento y, aunque la información no sobra, sí que me ha parecido cargante. La relación que he tenido con Tess ha sido un poco de amor-odio. Entendía su forma de actuar y yo sin duda habría hecho lo mismo. Aun así, su forma de odiarse durante toda la primera parte del libro era MUY desesperante. Parecía una niña tonta cuando ni de lejos lo es y eso me parece que se carga un poco al personaje. No sabría si recomendarlo o no. Más allá de sus reflexiones, no veo que merezca mucho la pena.