Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
the pieces of Tess’s journey feel a little disconnected, with some clumsy handling of some issues & themes, but the relationships are compelling & Tess’s character development is fantastically done. [content warning for child death, childhood sexual abuse, & religiously motivated child abuse]
A very different book from the author's previous novels (though connected) but still touched with Hartman's wonderful way with words, her ingenuity with plot and her utterly wonderful characters. Seraphina is one of my favourite fantasy characters but I think I might love Tess just a little bit more, she's just so wonderfully flawed, gorgeously stubborn, elegantly cantankerous, heart-breakingly wounded and a truly fabulous heroine.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
"Tess of the Road" by Rachel Hartman feels like it's a couple of different books in one: the first is an awesome YA fantasy quest with a marked feminist streak, the second is a more adult novella, and in-between those two, there are some filler scenes that don't belong in either.
I loved the first part of the book--the captivating world-building, the fast-paced adventures, the multifaceted characters...
My favourite is Pathka, who utters the wisest line in the book: "If you can't bite whom you need to bite, you end up biting whomever comes near."
The second part of the book was a bit slow for me - especially compared to the amazing adventures that preceed it - but still enjoyable.
I loved the first part of the book--the captivating world-building, the fast-paced adventures, the multifaceted characters...
My favourite is Pathka, who utters the wisest line in the book: "If you can't bite whom you need to bite, you end up biting whomever comes near."
The second part of the book was a bit slow for me - especially compared to the amazing adventures that preceed it - but still enjoyable.
Don't read this book if you're expecting to read a story about dragons. There are some in it, but they are a small fraction of this story and don't really matter to it. The dragon has another meaning on this cover, I like to think it stands for the Dragon Tess has to conquer in order to become herself again.
This story is all about character development. From the start we get a short version of Tess and her story. But as we progress through it, we learn not everything is as it seems from the start. There is more to is. Tess learns to be someone else while on the road, and finds herself there aswell.
It's a beautiful story, set with in the backdrop of some fantasy world, but the fantasy is not the main aspect. It's well writen, and the autor really has a nice way to write this travel story
This story is all about character development. From the start we get a short version of Tess and her story. But as we progress through it, we learn not everything is as it seems from the start. There is more to is. Tess learns to be someone else while on the road, and finds herself there aswell.
It's a beautiful story, set with in the backdrop of some fantasy world, but the fantasy is not the main aspect. It's well writen, and the autor really has a nice way to write this travel story
Audiobook: I’ve read worse... and I can’t say its as bad. Perhaps its the audiobook. It was read by the type of dreary women that read Robin Robb’s book. They make you want to slit your wrists to make it stop.
But about the story, I was hoping thats its just an elaborate setup couple of first chapters to emphasise the main character’s disappointment to her family and her failings. Hoping it would change. But it didn’t. I though the book was about adventure. But its about reliving past bad choices over and over. The type of writing style and story setting is reminiscent of the late 19th century, early 20th century style upper classes and daughters who have let their family and faith into the deepest scandal. The setting could be fine with a different narrative style.
But about the story, I was hoping thats its just an elaborate setup couple of first chapters to emphasise the main character’s disappointment to her family and her failings. Hoping it would change. But it didn’t. I though the book was about adventure. But its about reliving past bad choices over and over. The type of writing style and story setting is reminiscent of the late 19th century, early 20th century style upper classes and daughters who have let their family and faith into the deepest scandal. The setting could be fine with a different narrative style.
It took a while to get going but eventually became really interesting.
Bought it purely because of the cover art and turned out to be an amazing decision. It follows Tess through her journey for finding herself and her struggle in a patriarch world. Each character no matter how small, be it for one chapter or the whole book, manages to leave an imprint on you, making you smile whence you reminisce of their interaction with Tess and her eventual character growth because of it.
Never knew how much of a fan I am of coming of age story through journeys but this book made me realize that. As Carl Sagan famously stated "We were wanderers from the beginning" or Herman Melville aptly put in Moby Dick; "I am tormented with the everlasting itch for things remote, I love to sail forbidden seas....". This book embodies that ideal.
Never lets you down as you read through the passages getting more and more involved with the character, empathising with her mistakes, struggle and pain. You smile, laugh, cry with her as she finds herself little by little. The best story I've read this year so far. A kind of book that makes you want to write more and talk excitedly about. Instant all time favourite.
Hadn't realize that this was kind of a spinoff, 3rd book of the universe but now I'm itching to read the first two.
Never knew how much of a fan I am of coming of age story through journeys but this book made me realize that. As Carl Sagan famously stated "We were wanderers from the beginning" or Herman Melville aptly put in Moby Dick; "I am tormented with the everlasting itch for things remote, I love to sail forbidden seas....". This book embodies that ideal.
Never lets you down as you read through the passages getting more and more involved with the character, empathising with her mistakes, struggle and pain. You smile, laugh, cry with her as she finds herself little by little. The best story I've read this year so far. A kind of book that makes you want to write more and talk excitedly about. Instant all time favourite.
Hadn't realize that this was kind of a spinoff, 3rd book of the universe but now I'm itching to read the first two.
This book is a solid 4.5/5 stars for me.
Tess isn't one of those "I'm not like other girls" trope characters. She is flawed, she is messy, she is mean and kind in turns, she aches and bleeds and she chooses, for she realizes she always has a choice, instead of letting others decide for her. Her journey is so emotionally packed and the healing she goes through on that journey gives such a cathartic pay-off. The characters she meets on the Road are all on their own journeys to healing too and I love that with each character, they heal each other in some way or other.
There were so many profound moments on this journey with Tess that I teared up several times, but none more than her conversation with Mother Philomela and then when she recollected the birth (and death) of her Dozerius. The growth she experienced during her time with Josquin means so much to me.
I have a feeling this book will stay with me for many years to come.
Tess isn't one of those "I'm not like other girls" trope characters. She is flawed, she is messy, she is mean and kind in turns, she aches and bleeds and she chooses, for she realizes she always has a choice, instead of letting others decide for her. Her journey is so emotionally packed and the healing she goes through on that journey gives such a cathartic pay-off. The characters she meets on the Road are all on their own journeys to healing too and I love that with each character, they heal each other in some way or other.
There were so many profound moments on this journey with Tess that I teared up several times, but none more than her conversation with Mother Philomela and then when she recollected the birth (and death) of her Dozerius. The growth she experienced during her time with Josquin means so much to me.
I have a feeling this book will stay with me for many years to come.