Reviews

Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack

kerrifilippazzo's review

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3.0

Meh—hoped it would be better but one of the main characters really got on my nerves.

kansas_b's review against another edition

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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? No

3.75

after_hours_reader's review

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adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

arha's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This is an inventive and engaging fantasy novel. It's technically historical fiction, but the author clearly explains in an afterward what is actually known about the Khazar empire (very little) and what she made up (quite a lot), and some cultural details are clearly anachronistic. As fantasy, it's super fun. I read this as an adult and the magical creatures and mystical worlds will stay with me for a long time.

It's very well-written, and I was particularly impressed by the structure and pacing. This would have been very inspiring to me as a 12-year-old aspiring author.

It's also a book about a terminally ill child written by an ICU nurse. I've never been gravely ill myself, but based on my friends' experiences, I would recommend it for children whose siblings or friends are dying, but it may be more hit-or-miss for children facing their own deaths.

This book treats its themes around death and religious ritual with depth and sincerity without becoming dull or depressing. I would strongly recommend this as a discussion book for the lead-up to the Jewish High Holy Days.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

limdurlu's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0


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kirstenjoan's review

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reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

1.25

Book had a good history. Very slow and writing was bland.

librandian's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

bossladdo's review

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adventurous emotional reflective 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

3.25

wiestli's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative sad fast-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? Yes

4.0

julied1964's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25