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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
*Recieved from netgally for an honest review
[Deep sigh] This had so much potential, and there were parts that were quite good. But, mostly not.
I really do love that there's a book about these girls and that they fall in love, just like in real life. But really the premise only goes some way to save it. Overall I just don't have any overhwhelming feelings, just vague annoyance.
The writing style was at times very descriptive and lush, and then at other times it was sparse and filled with dialogue. I started off liking Mary and Anne's characters but by the end they just got annoying. Mary would jump to assumptions which caused a lot of drama. I appreciated the attempt at making Anne feminine and a badass - Always a plus, and I totally understood why she felt reliant on men and the point the author was making. It was an important point to make. But Anne ended up being a bit of a drip really. There's a line between being reliant on men because society has made it so and then not really standing up for yourself and she crossed it a couple of times. I just didn't actually find the girls that likable in the end if I'm being honest.
It was ok, and I love that more diverse books are coming out, especially historical lgbt stories. This had the right sense of hope and had bright girls at the centre. It just didn't quite have the energy to pull it off.
[Deep sigh] This had so much potential, and there were parts that were quite good. But, mostly not.
I really do love that there's a book about these girls and that they fall in love, just like in real life. But really the premise only goes some way to save it. Overall I just don't have any overhwhelming feelings, just vague annoyance.
The writing style was at times very descriptive and lush, and then at other times it was sparse and filled with dialogue. I started off liking Mary and Anne's characters but by the end they just got annoying. Mary would jump to assumptions which caused a lot of drama. I appreciated the attempt at making Anne feminine and a badass - Always a plus, and I totally understood why she felt reliant on men and the point the author was making. It was an important point to make. But Anne ended up being a bit of a drip really. There's a line between being reliant on men because society has made it so and then not really standing up for yourself and she crossed it a couple of times. I just didn't actually find the girls that likable in the end if I'm being honest.
It was ok, and I love that more diverse books are coming out, especially historical lgbt stories. This had the right sense of hope and had bright girls at the centre. It just didn't quite have the energy to pull it off.
adventurous
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:
Complicated
Huh. There was nothing I really disliked about this book, but there wasn't anything I particularly liked either. So many elements of this book are up my alley, but I was lowkey bored by the writing and the characters. Guess I'll go rewatch Black Sails?
(And no, Black Sails didn't give me unrealistic expectations for this book; I just want to make that clear.)
(And no, Black Sails didn't give me unrealistic expectations for this book; I just want to make that clear.)
Disclaimer: I received a free copy via Edelweiss for review purposes.
trigger warnings: abuse, sexual assault, homophobia, transphobia
I will admit that I had expectations when I went into The Unbinding of Mary Reade. I was so excited about this book. Sapphic pirates? YES! That is probably the only plus that I can find in this book. It could have been so amazing, especially because it’s by an #ownvoices author.
If you’re looking for a cute, fluffy or even a happy f/f romance, I wouldn’t look to this. There is a lot of abuse, sexual assault, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia (and not all of it challenged) throughout the novel that I just couldn’t enjoy this book.
There is very little about this I enjoyed. Mary herself was not a bad character, the world-building and historical atmosphere were decent, and I kind of did enjoy the pirate dynamics though I was hoping for a lot more swashbuckling and action. All in all, this was also a pretty boring book. Which is not what I have come to expect of pirate books. More of a romance than a swashbuckling adventure…
Like I said, this book is rife with sexism, sexual assault, abuse, and homophobia and you’re constantly reminded how much women and queer people were hated in the past and, even for the sake of historical realism, can we not? Especially to the extent it was present. It was just not a pleasant read. There is definitely violent content I would warn queer readers of.
Could we not have had a happy historical f/f romance? Please? (And on this note, if you’re looking for positive and happy LGBT+ historical fiction, I would totally recommend ALL OUT by Saundra Mitchell!)
Additionally, I would caution genderqueer and trans readers because Mary crossdresses and I’m not sure how well this was handled, but there is definitely some triggering content regarding sexual abuse, homophobia and transphobia surrounding this.
This one just really missed the mark for me. If you’re looking for an f/f romance and don’t mind the rampant homophobia and sexism the two have to battle through, then you might enjoy this book a lot more than me.
trigger warnings: abuse, sexual assault, homophobia, transphobia
I will admit that I had expectations when I went into The Unbinding of Mary Reade. I was so excited about this book. Sapphic pirates? YES! That is probably the only plus that I can find in this book. It could have been so amazing, especially because it’s by an #ownvoices author.
If you’re looking for a cute, fluffy or even a happy f/f romance, I wouldn’t look to this. There is a lot of abuse, sexual assault, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia (and not all of it challenged) throughout the novel that I just couldn’t enjoy this book.
There is very little about this I enjoyed. Mary herself was not a bad character, the world-building and historical atmosphere were decent, and I kind of did enjoy the pirate dynamics though I was hoping for a lot more swashbuckling and action. All in all, this was also a pretty boring book. Which is not what I have come to expect of pirate books. More of a romance than a swashbuckling adventure…
Like I said, this book is rife with sexism, sexual assault, abuse, and homophobia and you’re constantly reminded how much women and queer people were hated in the past and, even for the sake of historical realism, can we not? Especially to the extent it was present. It was just not a pleasant read. There is definitely violent content I would warn queer readers of.
Could we not have had a happy historical f/f romance? Please? (And on this note, if you’re looking for positive and happy LGBT+ historical fiction, I would totally recommend ALL OUT by Saundra Mitchell!)
Additionally, I would caution genderqueer and trans readers because Mary crossdresses and I’m not sure how well this was handled, but there is definitely some triggering content regarding sexual abuse, homophobia and transphobia surrounding this.
This one just really missed the mark for me. If you’re looking for an f/f romance and don’t mind the rampant homophobia and sexism the two have to battle through, then you might enjoy this book a lot more than me.
I was a little disappointed with this. I went in expecting a depiction of a passionate romance between Anne Bonny and Mary Reade as well as some blood-pumping swashbuckling to boot, but feel like I got a watered-down version of both. I didn't feel sold on the chemistry between Anne and Mary at all, unfortunately, and the few action scenes were written too flatly for my liking. What I will say is that I think it captured Mary's struggles with her identity and what she wanted really quite well for the most part, and she was certainly a likeable and interesting voice throughout the book.
Would I recommend this book to everyone? ...no. The best part is the original story and while the writing is too flowery, it's always easy to follow and it's straight as an arrow, and it's unpretentious - even if it lacks depth it doesn't lack it criminally, just after a certain point. And there are flashes of some really brilliant insights. Am I sad I read it? No. Am I sad it's over? No.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Honestly I kind of wanted to dnf this but I was so far into the book and it’s not all that long so I thought I may as well finish it just to see what happens - I kind of wanted to know but at the same time I wasn’t excited about the thought of reading the book to find out. It’s not necessarily a bad book, just not really my thing as I’ve come to realise I’m not the biggest fan of fantasy and really have to be in the right mood to enjoy it (and even then I think there’s a very limited range of what I would truly love). So if you’re into fantasy and pirates then maybe give this a go. But if, like me, it’s not your favourite then maybe this won’t be for you.
Relationship drama dressed up in pirate costumes! That said, I want to praise the author for a good premise, some solid writing, and a diverse book about the 18th Century. We need more diverse historical fiction, especially for teens; I look forward to seeing where McNamara's career takes her.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-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