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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it fell short for me ☹️
I found it really difficult to like the main charter, Ember. For someone who is introduced as not being a “good liar” & who isn’t able to lie easily, she surely became a pathological liar real freaking quick. I also unfortunately had a harder time liking the character due to the narrator using a very animated voice that, in my opinion, made Ember sound more like a teenager than a 20 something year old. I believe this also took me out of the story a lot and made some of Ember’s actions even more irritating.
I think the mix of the narrators choice of voice for the character as well as the actions of the character made for a difficult experience for me with this story.
I will say I really enjoyed the Native American representation, the introduction of recipes, some traditions and other customs mentioned in the story. I absolutely loved Danuwoa’s little sister and what she brought to the story as well as Danuwoa himself and Ember’s best friend.
Overall I think the story had great potential but it just wasn’t a hit for me.
I found it really difficult to like the main charter, Ember. For someone who is introduced as not being a “good liar” & who isn’t able to lie easily, she surely became a pathological liar real freaking quick. I also unfortunately had a harder time liking the character due to the narrator using a very animated voice that, in my opinion, made Ember sound more like a teenager than a 20 something year old. I believe this also took me out of the story a lot and made some of Ember’s actions even more irritating.
I think the mix of the narrators choice of voice for the character as well as the actions of the character made for a difficult experience for me with this story.
I will say I really enjoyed the Native American representation, the introduction of recipes, some traditions and other customs mentioned in the story. I absolutely loved Danuwoa’s little sister and what she brought to the story as well as Danuwoa himself and Ember’s best friend.
Overall I think the story had great potential but it just wasn’t a hit for me.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
funny
lighthearted
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:
Yes
Ember takes that old saying of what a tangled web we weave and really puts it to work. Girl is spinning narratives up down and sideways to get what she wants in life and I love her all the more for it. But what happens when those lies jumble up and force her to look at what that running is actually taking her full speed ahead towards?
emotional
funny
fast-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
Cute and fun! It seems like a lot of the reviewers found Ember's lies really stressful so I expected that to be the case for me, but I thought most of her lies made sense (sometimes she was being a bit ridiculous, though). Loved the Oklahoma and Indigenous representation. At times the explanations felt over the top or unneccesary, but I realize that as a Native reader born and raised in Oklahoma, those explanations were not for me lol. I would have loved to have some POV switching to get inside Danuwoa's head, although I realize the book wouldn't really be "according to Ember" in that case. I wish the publisher blurb didn't give away so much, they don't even kiss until about 60% in, and the blackmail plot starts even later. The blurb makes it sound like that will be most of the book, when really most of the book is just kind of following Ember around as she tries to figure out her life.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved the concept of this book. A Native woman trying to navigate the inherently racist world of corporate tech bros by lying her ass off while also dealing with her family commitments was exactly what I was looking for. What it lacked was a deeper connection between Ember and Danuwoa. Physical chemistry? They had it in spades. But I really didn’t see any reason for them to end up together, especially after Ember lied to him constantly.
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Classism
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
all the lies were stressing me OUTTTT 🥲
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was just a little too messy for me with all the lies, but I'm looking forward to reading more from Danica Nava