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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
I enjoyed the Kenyan setting and the fact that the author seemed to have done a lot of research into what they were writing about but for me, the thriller/mystery aspect was a bit lacking. I was hoping for an intense, page turning read and unfortunately that's not what I got. I think a lot of people would really enjoy this but as someone who loves a thriller with a lot of tension and keeps me guessing, I was a bit disappointed. That being said, it was an enjoyable read, just not the read I was hoping for. It's also worth mentioning that I'm very much in a 'reading slump' right now, so that may well have affected my overall enjoyment of this book!
Finished this book early this morning !!! Such a fantastic, heart pumping read. This novel is set in Africa, and is somewhat based on actual circumstances happening in this country. The novel picks up with our main character who is strong, sharp-tongued and super bad-ass. I would definitely recommend this novel because there is a mystery that keeps you guessing, a sister relationship that just makes you very happy.. and of course a bit of romance. I did enjoy there was romance in this book but it wasn't the main focus for Tiny. Would highly recommend this novel to anyone... was very interesting and kept me wanting to just devour it in one sitting (work got in my way like usual).
I absolutely loved City of Saints and Thieves. The synopsis sounded great and the added bonus was that it could complete the category in the 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge for book that has an immigrant or refugee. I love when I can stumble on books to fit categories I don’t read often rather than forcing myself to read a book for the sake of fitting the category at the end of the year.
The main character sucked me in with her narration about the rules of being a successful thief. She was a refugee from Congo living in Kenya and a part of a street gang. Her mother was murdered a few years before. Her half sister was attending a private school through a scholarship, so Tina knew her younger sister was being taken care of. She ended up on the streets herself, taken in by the Goondas, and learned how to use her skills to commit crimes that would eventually lead to her exacting revenge on the murderer. She was feisty, small, and determined. She did not commit crimes for the fun of it, but with revenge driving her to do whatever it took to turn herself into a weapon.
I loved Tina as a character. She was protective of her sister, loyal to people she cared about, but damaged by an awful past. Her current mission was the big revenge mission against the person she suspected was guilty of murdering her mother, but the job got more complicated than she anticipated. She found herself playing two sides, trying to keep up pretenses, while also trying to figure out why her mother was murdered.
I don’t want to give anything away, but I enjoyed the twists and turns in the plot, Tina’s fierce character, and the past that haunted her. I didn’t know much about the businesses, militias, crime, and violence that haunt Congo and surrounding areas, though I knew it was a tough region. I feel like I gained some insight and truly saw what it must be like for the people who choose to stay and run things like underfunded mission hospitals. But I also loved that, while it was educational and eye opening, it was still a fast paced and thrilling novel about a thief and it balanced both things well.
I highly recommend City of Saints and Thieves. It was exactly as awesome as the synopsis made it sound!
The main character sucked me in with her narration about the rules of being a successful thief. She was a refugee from Congo living in Kenya and a part of a street gang. Her mother was murdered a few years before. Her half sister was attending a private school through a scholarship, so Tina knew her younger sister was being taken care of. She ended up on the streets herself, taken in by the Goondas, and learned how to use her skills to commit crimes that would eventually lead to her exacting revenge on the murderer. She was feisty, small, and determined. She did not commit crimes for the fun of it, but with revenge driving her to do whatever it took to turn herself into a weapon.
I loved Tina as a character. She was protective of her sister, loyal to people she cared about, but damaged by an awful past. Her current mission was the big revenge mission against the person she suspected was guilty of murdering her mother, but the job got more complicated than she anticipated. She found herself playing two sides, trying to keep up pretenses, while also trying to figure out why her mother was murdered.
I don’t want to give anything away, but I enjoyed the twists and turns in the plot, Tina’s fierce character, and the past that haunted her. I didn’t know much about the businesses, militias, crime, and violence that haunt Congo and surrounding areas, though I knew it was a tough region. I feel like I gained some insight and truly saw what it must be like for the people who choose to stay and run things like underfunded mission hospitals. But I also loved that, while it was educational and eye opening, it was still a fast paced and thrilling novel about a thief and it balanced both things well.
I highly recommend City of Saints and Thieves. It was exactly as awesome as the synopsis made it sound!
Great characters and some interesting twists. Both a good mystery and insightful regarding the issues surrounding the Congo.
Book #109 Read in 2018
City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson
Christina's mother was murdered and she has joined a street gang to survive. She wants to punish her mother's murderer. But does she know the whole story? This book has lots of action and twists and turns that will keep high school and adult readers hooked. The characters are interesting. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson
Christina's mother was murdered and she has joined a street gang to survive. She wants to punish her mother's murderer. But does she know the whole story? This book has lots of action and twists and turns that will keep high school and adult readers hooked. The characters are interesting. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Great characters and some interesting twists. Both a good mystery and insightful regarding the issues surrounding the Congo.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars. A little slow to start, I was all in at the halfway mark. This was not my usual type of book, but I enjoyed it very much.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes