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yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.5
Finished reading: August 24th 2023
“We are the narratives we tell ourselves. But do we shape language, or does language shape us? Do we define words, or do words define us? If everyone keeps insisting I'm this monster, how soon before I become her?”
It's true that I don't read a lot of YA fantasy anymore, but I couldn't resist joining the blog tour for the first book back in 2020 and I instantly fell in love with this Argentine folklore inspired high fantasy world. I've been meaning to read Cazadora ever since it was first published, but somehow it took me TWO years to actually do so. I'm definitely kicking myself now, because I ended up having another fantastic experience with this sequel! Cazadora offered all the things I loved in the first book, with the added bonus that you already know and care for Manu and her manada. The fantasy world itself is fantastic, and very much inspired by Argentina; the incorporation of both local folklore and customs brilliantly done. The Spanish phrases only add more authenticity to this story, and it definitely made my inner philologist happy. Most of the phrases are translated though, so it is still easy to understand what is happening even though you don't speak Spanish. The plot itself picks up where the first book ended; this is why I would highly suggest reading the books in order both to avoid spoilers and confusion about what is happening and how the high fantasy world works. There is plenty of new territory to explore in Cazadora though, and the story incorporates a lot of important topics along the way. The writing itself is simply fantastic, and I loved every single minute that I spent with this story. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed there will be another book in the future considering how things ended...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deportation, Police brutality, Racism, Misogyny, Sexism, Homophobia, Transphobia, Death, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Xenophobia, Bullying, Confinement, and Violence
lmatakas's review
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Deportation
ladygetslit's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
This sequel was even better than the first book! My only complaint is there’s no third book and I’m not ready to be done with these characters and their world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Homophobia, and Death
thenovelmaura's review
adventurous
emotional
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
3.25
I won't bore anyone with a long review because it's been awhile since I read this one and it wasn't a standout for me. While I loved seeing Manu's world expand, I thought this was thematically underwhelming and repeated a lot of the events of the first book without building on them or offering anything new. There was a lot of character development but not a ton of plot development for the majority of it (although there were some very satisfying scenes near the end). During a book club discussion, Garber mentioned that she initially planned for this series to be a trilogy (the publisher only bought two books), and this one does read more like the second in a trilogy for me. Overall, I expect a duology to have a more powerful impact, but Garber is a talented writer and I'll definitely be picking up her next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Xenophobia and Death
ava_cowbell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was amazing, I would even say better than the first. The story and world building are still beautiful. The magic system is well explained. And the romance only enhances the main plot line rather than an unnecessary extra often found in other books. I can’t wait to read the third book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death and Homophobia
funky_little_dude's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
ashleyreads88's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
I loved this and felt that it tied the duology together very nicely. The ending was something that I didn't see coming and I loved the shocking twist. I loved how much Manu and the other characters grew. The message that I got from this amazing duology is that there is always something to fight for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death, and Xenophobia
Minor: Racism, Violence, and Transphobia
readandfindout's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Style/writing: 4 stars
Themes: 4.5 stars
Characters: 3.5 stars
Plot: 3 stars
Worldbuilding: 4 stars
Themes: 4.5 stars
Characters: 3.5 stars
Plot: 3 stars
Worldbuilding: 4 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Homophobia and Death
Minor: Racism, Transphobia, Violence, and Rape
brittshaw_p's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.5
4.5/5⭐️ | 1/5🌶 | 1/3⚠️ | 14+
Genre: YA contemporary paranormal fantasy
Diversity: latinx, 🏳️🌈 SC, disabled SC, feminist
Moods: dark, adventurous, rebellious, International
Pace: medium
Device(s):
Trope(s): found family, coming of age,
Notes: interesting and complex magic system, immersive contemporary world building, great exploration of friendships and found family, so many profound quotes, ending was powerful and left me wanting more, profound exploration of finding your place to belong
# of pages: 403
AB length:
Took me ~ to read: 5:35
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Misogyny, Homophobia, Xenophobia, and Sexism
Minor: Confinement, Death, Transphobia, and Injury/Injury detail