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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-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:
Yes
3.4⭐️ I give this rating a little wiggle room because it is a YA book. The story, characters and lore created here are AWESOME. Fantastic. I was all in on that. But, the plot often jumped in a way that felt like you were rushing to catch up without all of the necessary information. It was always possible to catch up by the next time this happened, but it made me feel as though I was missing something about 1/4 the time I was reading through this exciting, engaging and extremely fun story. I want more (and I want more detail in how we get from here to there)! Even without that, and “that” is typically enough to throw an entire story out of whack, the book was really fun and I felt as though I knew and loved every character. This alone is an amazing feat! I wouldn’t deter people from picking this up and I’d love to see it as an animated series!
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Quality of Writing: 6/10
Pacing: 6/10
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 6/10
Ending: 6/10
3.1
Pacing: 6/10
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 6/10
Ending: 6/10
3.1
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
hell yeah
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-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:
Yes
So, this was cute. I will say that I didn't love it as much as I'd hoped--the book suffers hugely from a pacing issue that's never really resolved--but I did enjoy it once I managed to force myself past the halfway point. It does very much read like a fairytale or a Ghibli movie with a hint of darker tones. It's just the pacing is... not great. This is largely due to the chapters being short and cutting off when they don't really need to. It makes the book feel much longer than it is, which dragged my enjoyment down by a lot. Also, Miuko felt... uneven(?) as a character. Like, her transformation didn't feel entirely earned and I think it's due to the pacing. Places where I wish the plot would have slowed down sped through and places where I wished they'd speed up seemed to take forever.
Overall, not bad, but I don't think I'll be keeping this one on my shelves.
Spoiler
I will say that the twist towards the ending was interesting, but also felt off? I both liked it and didn't, if that makes any sense. Like, I liked seeing how Miuko made changes to the timeline she was currently in, but it also made things drag out exponentially in a way I could have done without.Overall, not bad, but I don't think I'll be keeping this one on my shelves.
This book was a fantastic read, brimming with magic, whimsy, & adventure - everything you want in a good fairytale! It felt like a studio Ghibli movie & it was great
The Japanese-inspired realm of Awara was fascinating & vividly described. The highlight of the entire book for me was the variety of spirits that Miuko encountered; their diverse personalities were incredible, & I found myself wishing I could meet some of them
Although it's classified as YA, it never felt like a book for a younger audience only. It was a wonderfully addictive magical adventure that can be enjoyed at any age
I was concerned about the shift in part two, but ended up really enjoying how it allowed us to explore more of the realm
My only criticism is that I felt the story could have ended on the bank when Muiko returned. It felt like it stretched on a little unnecessary afterwards & the conclusion seemed a bit anticlimactic, although I liked the very end & knowing what happened to everyone afterwards, as well as the open ending that leaves us wondering what Muiko will get up to next
I enjoyed this story a lot & it’s a book I know one day I’ll want my children to read
The Japanese-inspired realm of Awara was fascinating & vividly described. The highlight of the entire book for me was the variety of spirits that Miuko encountered; their diverse personalities were incredible, & I found myself wishing I could meet some of them
Although it's classified as YA, it never felt like a book for a younger audience only. It was a wonderfully addictive magical adventure that can be enjoyed at any age
I was concerned about the shift in part two, but ended up really enjoying how it allowed us to explore more of the realm
My only criticism is that I felt the story could have ended on the bank when Muiko returned. It felt like it stretched on a little unnecessary afterwards & the conclusion seemed a bit anticlimactic, although I liked the very end & knowing what happened to everyone afterwards, as well as the open ending that leaves us wondering what Muiko will get up to next
I enjoyed this story a lot & it’s a book I know one day I’ll want my children to read