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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
Honest Review in exchange for an ARC copy of this book thanks to Netgalley! All opinions expressed are solely my own.
Erin Riha is certainly a writer of skill. I enjoyed this book once I was able to throw myself in, I found the opening slightly confusing and too vague to be of interest, but once I pursued, I enjoyed it a lot more. People compare this a lot to The Selection... I have to admit, The Selection is definitely one of my biggest guilty pleasures; as such I know it well enough to easily see the commonalities between the two books (and their eventual series). And I agree. This is very similar in concept, but I knew that going in, what I didn't know is how quickly it would attempt (fairly successfully at points) to turn this into a redemption of self-worth for our MC.
Arden. I love love love that name, and in a way it totally suits her. Arden, to my knowledge, comes from a meaning of "High" and sometimes "High Beauty", or "High Value". Which to me, is a compliment to our MC's virtue. Here we have an MC that is no damn damsel in distress, but a young woman who's had stuff chucked her way since she was a kid, and still stood strong, finding a way through and on, not just collapsing in a heap or onto a mans shoulders as they do for disney. She's not the most relateable MC, but I still enjoyed her as a character immensely. It's a shame side characters like Zerah weren't given more of a relationship with our MC as I would have found that deeply intriguing and interesting for their perspectives to grow. I love that the 'sidekick' or closest to that, was written in a strong woman who has a mask to the world but still has an obvious archilles heel. No more of those powderpuff girls who act like they've never had brains, here we see an array of DIFFERENT women, each with their own personalities. Now, I have to follow that up with the disappointment that for so many of those characters there was a bitter rivalry that felt secondary to the goings on of the book. Mainly because it would have been ever more so interesting for their to be some woman/woman power instead of just more of the misogynistic world we are so familiar with. Though that leads me to the positive point; that this writer addresses the misogyny at multiple times within our MC's narration, and gives Arden the "hell naw" energy we've been missing in the books of authors prior. My biggest disappointment? The Pirate man. He was a freaking asshole, and his crew weren't life changing just different. AND I am so, so so so so done with bloody love triangles. And it felt so over done and over played with the whole "oh it felt different with him" vibes and "oh but i dont know what that means"... just ENOUGH. Please. In regards to the sensitive matters dealt within of rape/assault and violence etc, I think they were covered and dealt with with grace. I find many authors struggle with this sensitive material and make it too fantastical, or horror story like and unrealistic, and I struggle to read the graphic depictions attempted by other writers. Here, it feels realistic and repulsive, and CJ... CJ is the man we all want to punch in the face, and the two personas shown within society are crafted well, cleverly, and believable. Overall, I enjoyed this book and found it an interesting read, but the forced love triangle (with a toxic member, a sensitive wanting to learn member who is basically an aside story, and a member recovering from something as drastic as Arden), lack of interesting connections between characters, and fairly standard and basic world building, leads me to a score of 2.5/5 stars. I'm not sure I'll read the sequel or continuing books unless I find myself bored.
Erin Riha is certainly a writer of skill. I enjoyed this book once I was able to throw myself in, I found the opening slightly confusing and too vague to be of interest, but once I pursued, I enjoyed it a lot more. People compare this a lot to The Selection... I have to admit, The Selection is definitely one of my biggest guilty pleasures; as such I know it well enough to easily see the commonalities between the two books (and their eventual series). And I agree. This is very similar in concept, but I knew that going in, what I didn't know is how quickly it would attempt (fairly successfully at points) to turn this into a redemption of self-worth for our MC.
Arden. I love love love that name, and in a way it totally suits her. Arden, to my knowledge, comes from a meaning of "High" and sometimes "High Beauty", or "High Value". Which to me, is a compliment to our MC's virtue. Here we have an MC that is no damn damsel in distress, but a young woman who's had stuff chucked her way since she was a kid, and still stood strong, finding a way through and on, not just collapsing in a heap or onto a mans shoulders as they do for disney. She's not the most relateable MC, but I still enjoyed her as a character immensely. It's a shame side characters like Zerah weren't given more of a relationship with our MC as I would have found that deeply intriguing and interesting for their perspectives to grow. I love that the 'sidekick' or closest to that, was written in a strong woman who has a mask to the world but still has an obvious archilles heel. No more of those powderpuff girls who act like they've never had brains, here we see an array of DIFFERENT women, each with their own personalities. Now, I have to follow that up with the disappointment that for so many of those characters there was a bitter rivalry that felt secondary to the goings on of the book. Mainly because it would have been ever more so interesting for their to be some woman/woman power instead of just more of the misogynistic world we are so familiar with. Though that leads me to the positive point; that this writer addresses the misogyny at multiple times within our MC's narration, and gives Arden the "hell naw" energy we've been missing in the books of authors prior. My biggest disappointment? The Pirate man. He was a freaking asshole, and his crew weren't life changing just different. AND I am so, so so so so done with bloody love triangles. And it felt so over done and over played with the whole "oh it felt different with him" vibes and "oh but i dont know what that means"... just ENOUGH. Please. In regards to the sensitive matters dealt within of rape/assault and violence etc, I think they were covered and dealt with with grace. I find many authors struggle with this sensitive material and make it too fantastical, or horror story like and unrealistic, and I struggle to read the graphic depictions attempted by other writers. Here, it feels realistic and repulsive, and CJ... CJ is the man we all want to punch in the face, and the two personas shown within society are crafted well, cleverly, and believable. Overall, I enjoyed this book and found it an interesting read, but the forced love triangle (with a toxic member, a sensitive wanting to learn member who is basically an aside story, and a member recovering from something as drastic as Arden), lack of interesting connections between characters, and fairly standard and basic world building, leads me to a score of 2.5/5 stars. I'm not sure I'll read the sequel or continuing books unless I find myself bored.
Every year, the National Women’s Institute of Nordania select a few lucky candidates to study with them and become the future leaders of the world - a life away from being the unchosen, and a life Arden could never imagine. But when her name is announced and she is finally whisked away to her new life of freedom away from her abusive life at home, it's not what she'd dreamed of at all. Rather than learning, Arden seems to just be wearing gowns and competing for attention - it seems like she's traded one cage for another and she's going to need all the strength in the world to break out.
Now, this book featured some of the YA tropes you either love or hate - vaguely evil elite club, love triangles, fighting for the love of the prince, all that song and dance - and while for me it made this feel somewhat lacklustre it definitely gave a pleasant familiarity to the story. The world building however, was stunning and I loved the lore and history created within this story. Arden was brilliantly written and a wonderful heroin, I really enjoyed seeing her overcome and grow throughout the story.
This was a lot darker than expected, and dealt with a lot of abuse from assault and rape, self harm and bullying. And while it wasn't particularly graphic, the emotional and lasting impact was portrayed vividly and took me by surpise, a lot of readers might find this uncomfortable to read.
As the first in a series, I'm definitely interested to see where this goes next.
Now, this book featured some of the YA tropes you either love or hate - vaguely evil elite club, love triangles, fighting for the love of the prince, all that song and dance - and while for me it made this feel somewhat lacklustre it definitely gave a pleasant familiarity to the story. The world building however, was stunning and I loved the lore and history created within this story. Arden was brilliantly written and a wonderful heroin, I really enjoyed seeing her overcome and grow throughout the story.
This was a lot darker than expected, and dealt with a lot of abuse from assault and rape, self harm and bullying. And while it wasn't particularly graphic, the emotional and lasting impact was portrayed vividly and took me by surpise, a lot of readers might find this uncomfortable to read.
As the first in a series, I'm definitely interested to see where this goes next.
Now finally getting into a review for this book: So a lot of people have been comparing it to The Selection series by Kiara Cass (which I'm not a huge fan of BTW), which is not wrong I guess, as the main setup of the book is quite similar. It's the same bachelor-esque trope where all these girls are competing for prince. I would like to say that it's definitely better than the selection in a lot of ways in my opinion but it also wasn't much better.
4.5 stars!
This book surprised me in a good way. It's a YA Fantasy with a typical premise: a bunch of young adults, women in this case, are embroiled in a competition with dire stakes. In a world where sexism is encoded deeply into every aspect of life, certain women are chosen by Benefactors for a competition to better themselves and secure higher positions in life. Unsurprisingly, much of this has to do with the prospects of each individual woman for marriage. It also has to do with their political cunning.
The difference between But For The Mountains and other books in this genre, however, was the main character. Arden Thatcher is a ward of a Benefactor, and definitely not one of the chosen few who get to attend the competition. She has spent many years of her life being systematically sexually abused by the Benefactor's son. She lives in fear of him. She has been made small by him. So one day, when in a twist of fate she winds up attending the competition, she feels horribly out of place and inadequate. (Please note that obviously this book includes quite graphic and scary sexual content at times, and should not be read lightly if you have any concerns about this content.)
I was very impressed by the way in which the author dealt with Arden's history of sexual abuse and its impact on her character and the character of others around her. It informed her choices, but did not encapsulate her entire story. Her story was about generally bettering herself, and realising what she actually wants in life, as well as wrestling with her past and her ongoing fears.
Also, I am normally unimpressed by love triangles, but the nuances of the love triangle in this book, given Arden's character, were very interesting. I found myself fully invested in one of the pairs by the end of the book, and intrigued as to how the other one might develop.
This is the start of an interesting, unique, and relevant story, in a well-fleshed-out fantasy world, with a protagonist who keeps me reading. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because at times some of the complications felt a bit too generic. But by the end of it, I forgave all of its more stereotypical moments in favour of enjoying these characters so much. Here's hoping the next book will be five stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and REUTS publications for providing me with a free eARC of this book! Unfortunately I didn't get to it in time for publication - in fact, I was so late that the next book is now out. The one benefit of this is that I get to jump right into the sequel, and you do too if you decide to read this book! I would highly recommend it.
This book surprised me in a good way. It's a YA Fantasy with a typical premise: a bunch of young adults, women in this case, are embroiled in a competition with dire stakes. In a world where sexism is encoded deeply into every aspect of life, certain women are chosen by Benefactors for a competition to better themselves and secure higher positions in life. Unsurprisingly, much of this has to do with the prospects of each individual woman for marriage. It also has to do with their political cunning.
The difference between But For The Mountains and other books in this genre, however, was the main character. Arden Thatcher is a ward of a Benefactor, and definitely not one of the chosen few who get to attend the competition. She has spent many years of her life being systematically sexually abused by the Benefactor's son. She lives in fear of him. She has been made small by him. So one day, when in a twist of fate she winds up attending the competition, she feels horribly out of place and inadequate. (Please note that obviously this book includes quite graphic and scary sexual content at times, and should not be read lightly if you have any concerns about this content.)
I was very impressed by the way in which the author dealt with Arden's history of sexual abuse and its impact on her character and the character of others around her. It informed her choices, but did not encapsulate her entire story. Her story was about generally bettering herself, and realising what she actually wants in life, as well as wrestling with her past and her ongoing fears.
Also, I am normally unimpressed by love triangles, but the nuances of the love triangle in this book, given Arden's character, were very interesting. I found myself fully invested in one of the pairs by the end of the book, and intrigued as to how the other one might develop.
This is the start of an interesting, unique, and relevant story, in a well-fleshed-out fantasy world, with a protagonist who keeps me reading. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because at times some of the complications felt a bit too generic. But by the end of it, I forgave all of its more stereotypical moments in favour of enjoying these characters so much. Here's hoping the next book will be five stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and REUTS publications for providing me with a free eARC of this book! Unfortunately I didn't get to it in time for publication - in fact, I was so late that the next book is now out. The one benefit of this is that I get to jump right into the sequel, and you do too if you decide to read this book! I would highly recommend it.
The title of this story comes from a story retold late on in the book but which is central to the theme at the heart of this novel...that of survival. But for the Mountains focuses on the story of Arden, a young girl who has endured horrific abuse at the hands of those who should be protecting her, and how she learns to find ways to accept this element of her past and move into a new future.
While the story of survival and the character of Arden herself were engaging, I don't feel this worked as effectively as it might have because of some of the other plot elements.
Our story is set in the fictional world of Nordania. There are many places within the country mentioned, but I never felt I really was given much to picture the world or how it came to be. We are, however, told that each year there is a group of young women who are sent to the National Institute in order to learn how to rise to their potential role within society - and, though this is never explicitly encouraged, the main aim is to secure a potential match for the Prime Minister's son.
As a number of reviewers have commented, the competition between a group of young women to secure the hand in marriage of someone important has been done before. It is very reminiscent of The Selection - even down to the backstabbing and machinations to beat their rivals - but it was only once I got to the end of the book that I started to feel this was merely a device to allow the author to convey her message about the society, what these girls endure and how all who 'look the other way' are complicit in the abuse.
Arden herself is a character I found intriguing. She is broken, but by the end she is fighting and I definitely liked the way she ended the book. Her relationship with Beck was a curious one, and I'm convinced there is more to this man than meets the eye - how else could he get away with so much?
While there are elements of this book I found did not engage me, it certainly showed us a character determined not to give up, someone you want to succeed and a very real suggestion that she might do okay - in spite of the barriers placed in her way.
While the story of survival and the character of Arden herself were engaging, I don't feel this worked as effectively as it might have because of some of the other plot elements.
Our story is set in the fictional world of Nordania. There are many places within the country mentioned, but I never felt I really was given much to picture the world or how it came to be. We are, however, told that each year there is a group of young women who are sent to the National Institute in order to learn how to rise to their potential role within society - and, though this is never explicitly encouraged, the main aim is to secure a potential match for the Prime Minister's son.
As a number of reviewers have commented, the competition between a group of young women to secure the hand in marriage of someone important has been done before. It is very reminiscent of The Selection - even down to the backstabbing and machinations to beat their rivals - but it was only once I got to the end of the book that I started to feel this was merely a device to allow the author to convey her message about the society, what these girls endure and how all who 'look the other way' are complicit in the abuse.
Arden herself is a character I found intriguing. She is broken, but by the end she is fighting and I definitely liked the way she ended the book. Her relationship with Beck was a curious one, and I'm convinced there is more to this man than meets the eye - how else could he get away with so much?
While there are elements of this book I found did not engage me, it certainly showed us a character determined not to give up, someone you want to succeed and a very real suggestion that she might do okay - in spite of the barriers placed in her way.
Words can’t describe how much I enjoyed BUT FOR THE MOUNTAINS by Erin Riha but I’ll give it a shot! I rated this a 4.5/5!
After growing up in a benefactor’s house with a negligent man and his abusive son, Arden is surprisingly accepted as one of 18 candidates to the National Women’s Institute. The premise reminded me of THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass, but there was a depth to Arden’s character that made the story much more compelling to me. At the Institute, Arden confronts her past and tries to develop a life for herself in a world of arranged marriages while surviving threats from all sides.
I thought the depiction of trauma was really well done and accurate in a way that many young adult books are not. Arden exhibits symptoms of prolonged sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and her internal journey is placed in higher importance that the romance storyline. I didn't especially like the love triangle aspect, but it drove the story forward. The ending was hopeful, and I would love to see a sequel.
After growing up in a benefactor’s house with a negligent man and his abusive son, Arden is surprisingly accepted as one of 18 candidates to the National Women’s Institute. The premise reminded me of THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass, but there was a depth to Arden’s character that made the story much more compelling to me. At the Institute, Arden confronts her past and tries to develop a life for herself in a world of arranged marriages while surviving threats from all sides.
I thought the depiction of trauma was really well done and accurate in a way that many young adult books are not. Arden exhibits symptoms of prolonged sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and her internal journey is placed in higher importance that the romance storyline. I didn't especially like the love triangle aspect, but it drove the story forward. The ending was hopeful, and I would love to see a sequel.
(B-) 83% : The Selection but darker.
ARC provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. this Do NOT affects my rating.
Trigger Warning: Rape, Sexual Abuse, and Physical Abuse
Non-spoiler Section
ARC provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. this Do NOT affects my rating.
Trigger Warning: Rape, Sexual Abuse, and Physical Abuse
Non-spoiler Section
DNF at 83%. It was a half decent story. I liked the characterization and the plot up until the point Beck went from mentor/bodyguard to romantic interest. Beck is painted as a grown man and Arden is painted as a child, 16 or 17 years old. Just too icky to continue
This is a story of inner strength and resilience, with well-paced action and a delicious side helping of romance and glamour. As the story progressed I was thoroughly engrossed and although the ending was satisfying for the moment, I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel.
A word of caution for prospective readers that the story is about a young woman escaping a very abusive situation, and the early chapters are tough and may not be right for everyone.
A word of caution for prospective readers that the story is about a young woman escaping a very abusive situation, and the early chapters are tough and may not be right for everyone.
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review! all thoughts and opinions are my own.
first of all, the cover is absolutely gorgeous, i love it. so many people compared this book to the selection, so i was super excited heading into it. the premise was exciting, and i definitely wasn't disappointed!
it starts off with the main character, arden, being raped and abused by a boy named cj who thought she'd never be able to escape. when she suddenly gets chosen by mistake, she's eager to leave and face anything just to escape his abuse.
arden hasn't been trained for what she's been chosen for, so she goes in naively. what she believes is an institute for learning is actually something much darker, with politics and secrets that the public never sees. the girls all compete for the attention of the prince, trying to win his heart. she doesn't have any interest in that, as she wants to survive and never go to back home to cj.
the competition is hard, and arden immediately fails the first test about basic knowledge of nordania. she slowly settles into life uneasily, working hard to not fall back. the prince, declan, takes an interest in her but his mother doesn't approve of the two of them. declan was a good person, but slightly bland as a character. a love triangle with beck, a pirate, is introduced, and i really liked him and how he made arden feel protected, especially when he taught her how to fight.
i really like the ending, especially when she got the tattoo to cover up her scar that she's so ashamed of. i loved seeing arden grow throughout the book, and coming to terms with her abuse. she's strong, determined, and will persevere no matter what.
i will definitely be looking forward to reading the sequel, and i really recommend this book!!
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