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kez91's review
3.0
At first I was a bit unsure about this book- it started pretty much right into the action with no lead up or introduction to characters, and I felt like I kind of just had to keep up and figure it out as I went, but that did mean that I was pretty involved in the story right from the start. (some apsects did confuse me until they were better explained later on, like the agreement with the lizards). I liked Ashala, the title character, but some others seemed a bit flat, particularly Connor. I know we didn't have his perspective to use to flesh out his motivations, but I think he could still have been more rounded as a character and more believable with a bit more background or more inclusion in the story. I loved the Dreaming-like elements of the story, particularly with the serpent and towards the ending, and the strong focus on nature and spiritual elements. Won't be one of my all time favourite books but I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series!
shelbywhite's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
elembrii's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.25
chelsjulian's review against another edition
2.0
Well, that was a steady decline into madness.
Several of the reviews were praising this book for it's originality, only it's not very original. Sure, there are original elements, but they're cast in an overly generic dystopia, primarily within an overly generic prison/asylum. Add in irrational and all-encompassing, death-defying instalove and you get a weird YA PR. I think the story had potential, and if it had been pitched to a ghost writer to develop the world, characters and plot, it might have been good.
Several of the reviews were praising this book for it's originality, only it's not very original. Sure, there are original elements, but they're cast in an overly generic dystopia, primarily within an overly generic prison/asylum. Add in irrational and all-encompassing, death-defying instalove and you get a weird YA PR. I think the story had potential, and if it had been pitched to a ghost writer to develop the world, characters and plot, it might have been good.
hcube3's review against another edition
4.0
I really like this book both on its own merits and for what it reveals about the future of YA sci-fi. I think the decisions made by the author regarding plot structure, reveals and worldbuilding are bold and modern, revealing a pluralistic story which refutes the all-too-common hero's journey archetype. Worldbuilding is admittedly patchy, but I think it's also a shift in the way we value worldbuilding in fantasy fiction. I think the reader gets enough detail for the plot to be relevant and the stakes to feel real. It's not so much a story about getting lost in a fantasy, it's a story about developing empathy for difficult situations, outside of the real-world prejudices that a reader may hold. That to me, is a more compelling use of the what-if, rather than asking what-if a certain technological advance happened.
littleread's review against another edition
4.0
A brilliant parable about selfhood and Alterity that draws on a particularly Australian set of Intertextual signifiers. It weaves together the post apocalyptic dystopia familiar from the Obernewtyn world, but tempers it with stories drawn from the Dreaming and also with contemporary political discourse that alludes to the Stolen Generations, the Northern Territory Intervention, and Australia's horrific treatment of refugees. There is a lot in this book that will be lost on people who are not familiar with Australia's Black history.
domesticat's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the conceit: much of the book happens inside the unreliable narrator's head. I wasn't enthused with the love story, but I thought the world-building unique and enjoyable.
kevinhendricks's review against another edition
4.0
This is kind of an odd and unique YA, far-future post-apocalyptic/dystopian story about a group of children with odd powers that are deemed illegals. A group of them escapes society and lives on their own, and we follow Ashala as she's captured by the government. It's full of twists and turns that are honestly hard to follow (I just kept reading until it made sense, and it did eventually get there), but it was ultimately a fun little adventure.
schomj's review against another edition
4.0
Happy, feel-good, utterly unrealistic dystopian YA novel featuring an Indigenous heroine. I loved every minute of it.