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3.0 AVERAGE
3.0 AVERAGE
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5 stars
Umbrage was pitched to me as a high school superhero fantasy that’s told across multiple connecting short stories. And even though I was really not sold on the cover and generally like to stick to the darker epic fantasies, I was somehow still quite intrigued by the idea of this episodic low-fantasy adventure. Well, turns out it can be quite fun to go outside of your comfortzone somtimes! If you ever need a break from all the chunky fantasy tomes, then Umbrage has got you covered!
This book consists of 7 connecting short stories all following the young and bright Kayla McIntytre. When we are first introduced to her, she seems to be a pretty normal teenager, but then she discovers that she has some strange powers which allow her to see visions of people’s impending deaths. Now it’s up to her and her friends to prevent these tragic events from happening, no matter the cost.
The stakes keep rising with each new story and shocking secrets about her hometown start coming to light, but Kayla and her friends will stop at nothing to keep everyone around them safe.
This book delivers exactly what it promised and that is always a positive thing in my opinion. You don’t have to come looking here for really complex character work or incredibly deep themes, but that doesn’t make this story any less valuable or enjoyable. Sometimes it’s nice to just have a quick and fun read that doesn’t require a lot of brainpower and which will keep you entertained for a few hours.
I do want to give the author some props for writing such believable and endearing young characters, because it’s not easy to write good teenage characters that won’t just frustrate you on every single page. And though I’ll admit that some of the dialogue and text messages felt a bit juvenile and cringy, I also can’t deny that it was still really fun to follow them.
Also, heck yes for super strong friendships and supportive parents, those heartwarming relationships were without a doubt the highlight of the story for me!
Now, I personally read this entire book in one go, which should tell you enough about how enjoyable and engaging these stories were. The author did a good job of raising the stakes and making each story a little more complex by building upon what had come before. These characters are faced with difficult decisions and really have to rely on their wits to resolve all the conflicts, which I enjoyed seeing.
All that said, when you read all the stories back-to-back, they can start to feel a bit repetitive. They all have the same set up of: get a vision, make a plan, save the day. And though that set-up is executed well, I think spreading these stories out over a couple of days will make for the best reading experience. I reckon it’d be fun to open your book and reconnect with a fun cast of characters to see what new challenges they have to face that day.
All in all, I had a good time with this book and it turned out to be the perfect break in between some of my heavier reads. Definitely give Umbrage a shot if you like the idea of an episodic high school superhero adventure that will keep you entertained the entire way through!
Thank you to the author for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Umbrage was pitched to me as a high school superhero fantasy that’s told across multiple connecting short stories. And even though I was really not sold on the cover and generally like to stick to the darker epic fantasies, I was somehow still quite intrigued by the idea of this episodic low-fantasy adventure. Well, turns out it can be quite fun to go outside of your comfortzone somtimes! If you ever need a break from all the chunky fantasy tomes, then Umbrage has got you covered!
This book consists of 7 connecting short stories all following the young and bright Kayla McIntytre. When we are first introduced to her, she seems to be a pretty normal teenager, but then she discovers that she has some strange powers which allow her to see visions of people’s impending deaths. Now it’s up to her and her friends to prevent these tragic events from happening, no matter the cost.
The stakes keep rising with each new story and shocking secrets about her hometown start coming to light, but Kayla and her friends will stop at nothing to keep everyone around them safe.
This book delivers exactly what it promised and that is always a positive thing in my opinion. You don’t have to come looking here for really complex character work or incredibly deep themes, but that doesn’t make this story any less valuable or enjoyable. Sometimes it’s nice to just have a quick and fun read that doesn’t require a lot of brainpower and which will keep you entertained for a few hours.
I do want to give the author some props for writing such believable and endearing young characters, because it’s not easy to write good teenage characters that won’t just frustrate you on every single page. And though I’ll admit that some of the dialogue and text messages felt a bit juvenile and cringy, I also can’t deny that it was still really fun to follow them.
Also, heck yes for super strong friendships and supportive parents, those heartwarming relationships were without a doubt the highlight of the story for me!
Now, I personally read this entire book in one go, which should tell you enough about how enjoyable and engaging these stories were. The author did a good job of raising the stakes and making each story a little more complex by building upon what had come before. These characters are faced with difficult decisions and really have to rely on their wits to resolve all the conflicts, which I enjoyed seeing.
All that said, when you read all the stories back-to-back, they can start to feel a bit repetitive. They all have the same set up of: get a vision, make a plan, save the day. And though that set-up is executed well, I think spreading these stories out over a couple of days will make for the best reading experience. I reckon it’d be fun to open your book and reconnect with a fun cast of characters to see what new challenges they have to face that day.
All in all, I had a good time with this book and it turned out to be the perfect break in between some of my heavier reads. Definitely give Umbrage a shot if you like the idea of an episodic high school superhero adventure that will keep you entertained the entire way through!
Thank you to the author for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.