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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
"Sometimes, if you want to save other people, you need to remember to save yourself first."
An autistic nun gets possessed by a revenant. THIS IS WHY I READ. Who comes up with this stuff? I didn't know I needed this book until I read the first chapter. As a person who struggles with neurodivergence I so rarely relate to a character SO HARD.
I think Margaret Rogerson handled the representation of neurodivergence SO WELL. And not in a "I am a white woman who stands on a soap box for things I don't understand" way, but a very careful, plot driven, intentional way that not only doesn't glorify the condition, but increases the reader's understanding of it, while making it wholly central to the plot and character development. It's not representation for representations sake.
Now onto plot. I was enthralled from the very first chapter. While the galley was one of the worst in terms of formatting I've received so close to a release date, it didn't distract me much (which is saying something because I usually cannot handle a ton of formatting errors and still maintain focus on the story.) The story was just that good. I was team Artemisia from the beginning, there was no question I HAD to stay to see what happened to her. To me that's the most important quality of a five-star read - do I care what will happen to the protagonist? Yes yes YES. I will be begging the publisher for the galley of book 2 as SOON as it is available because I'm so invested in this story.
My rating system:
1 star: DNF - VERY RARE that my brain allows me not to finish, I have to truly not give a crap or the book has to be so problematic that I think it shouldn't even be published.
2 stars: Did not enjoy but forced myself through
3 stars: probably a good book but not for me, will not read the sequel
4 stars: I enjoyed it, I'd read the sequel
5 stars: I loved it, I'm preordering the next one.
6 stars: I must own a hardcover preferably special edition, I've begged the publisher for a galley of the next one, I will be harassing everyone I know to also read it.
This book is a firm 6 stars!!!
An autistic nun gets possessed by a revenant. THIS IS WHY I READ. Who comes up with this stuff? I didn't know I needed this book until I read the first chapter. As a person who struggles with neurodivergence I so rarely relate to a character SO HARD.
I think Margaret Rogerson handled the representation of neurodivergence SO WELL. And not in a "I am a white woman who stands on a soap box for things I don't understand" way, but a very careful, plot driven, intentional way that not only doesn't glorify the condition, but increases the reader's understanding of it, while making it wholly central to the plot and character development. It's not representation for representations sake.
Now onto plot. I was enthralled from the very first chapter. While the galley was one of the worst in terms of formatting I've received so close to a release date, it didn't distract me much (which is saying something because I usually cannot handle a ton of formatting errors and still maintain focus on the story.) The story was just that good. I was team Artemisia from the beginning, there was no question I HAD to stay to see what happened to her. To me that's the most important quality of a five-star read - do I care what will happen to the protagonist? Yes yes YES. I will be begging the publisher for the galley of book 2 as SOON as it is available because I'm so invested in this story.
My rating system:
1 star: DNF - VERY RARE that my brain allows me not to finish, I have to truly not give a crap or the book has to be so problematic that I think it shouldn't even be published.
2 stars: Did not enjoy but forced myself through
3 stars: probably a good book but not for me, will not read the sequel
4 stars: I enjoyed it, I'd read the sequel
5 stars: I loved it, I'm preordering the next one.
6 stars: I must own a hardcover preferably special edition, I've begged the publisher for a galley of the next one, I will be harassing everyone I know to also read it.
This book is a firm 6 stars!!!
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don't usually read fantasy and nuns and spirits don't really sound like my cup of tea. However, since discovering this book existed I've had an inexplicable urge to read it. It was really good. I was surprised by how much I liked it. Especially dialogue was perfectly executed. The only reason I decided to knock my rating down a star is that the book would have been much better if it was meant to be a standalone. The fact that it's supposed to be the first book in a series is slowing it down a bit...
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Very original fantasy with unforgettable characters and plot. It was a joy to read such a well crafted, beautifully written book.
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This defined my expectations and I ended up really enjoying it.
If you are in the mood for an eery, gloomy book with spirits and unique characters and the best enemies to begrudging friends relationship, it was so well done in this book. I'd honestly say this book is upper YA because at times the tone of this book is pretty dark and it really stays down there, so it felt like it kind of dragged my mood down with it after a while, which can be a good thing if you want to experience the story on that level. In the acknowledgments she said that she wrote this during the pandemic and therefore during the deepest depression she's experienced, and I think she really translated some of that into this story, not that the mc is depressed, but it fits. I didn't necessarily know that's what I was getting into though, so I was very grateful for the occasional reprieve of some banter between the Revenant and Artemisia, or some of the other side characters you'll meet. Honestly the relationship with the Revenant is what MADE this book for me, I adored it! I would have preferred more dialogue and definitely a romantic subplot, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
I'm struggling to think of the appropriate
words to adequately convey just how big
of a disappointment Vespertine is for me.
I would have DNF'd, but I was
determined to ride it out and see if it got
better. which resulted in me doing a lot
of skimming and get more and more
bored with every page. The beginning was
so exciting and held so much potential.
But things got really bogged down and
completely lost me after that.
words to adequately convey just how big
of a disappointment Vespertine is for me.
I would have DNF'd, but I was
determined to ride it out and see if it got
better. which resulted in me doing a lot
of skimming and get more and more
bored with every page. The beginning was
so exciting and held so much potential.
But things got really bogged down and
completely lost me after that.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
oh my god!!! my thoughts on this one feel so complicated because i felt like i connected so very deeply with artemisia and i absolutely was in love with this super creative world and these characters. i truly feel like no one else is crafting YA worlds like these!! and also……….. i can’t help but feel like the ending fell flat. overall i wanted more. this didn’t really work for me as a standalone and while i totally respect m rogerson’s decision to step away from this world, it does make me sad that this ended up feeling rushed toward the end and likely won’t get a follow up. still highly recommend for sure and am so glad i picked this up (m rogerson is an insta-buy for me lol) and will happily await whatever her next project is!!
dnfed @ 15% (audiobook)
Will definitely try again with the physical version
Will definitely try again with the physical version