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inamerata's review
adventurous
dark
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I do not recommend this if you have any concerns about disordered eating.
I wanted to like this book. It sounded cool and had glowing recommendations, but it didn't work for me.
Poor communication is off-putting in general, but especially in romance. This is even more-so in poly romances. It was believable the crew wouldn't trust Alana right away, but once you're instigating romantic gestures, you shouldn't play coy with things like "current relationship status and dynamic." It felt deceptive and manipulative, yet Alana's confusion and distress were treated like the problem, rather than her being put in that position in the first place. It left me rooting against the entire relationship.
Alana and Nova's sisterly relationship was perhaps the strongest element, and I bought into the tension with them. However, Nova's personal arc was extremely uncomfortable because of its pro-anorexic spirituality that is glamorized to the pointthat she saves the day by literally starving and wasting away, and that's the titular ascension . The way Alana's experiences with chronic illness and pain were written rang true, though, and it was nice to see the topic come up throughout the narrative.
Unfortunately, Ascension's concepts are much better than its execution.
I wanted to like this book. It sounded cool and had glowing recommendations, but it didn't work for me.
Poor communication is off-putting in general, but especially in romance. This is even more-so in poly romances. It was believable the crew wouldn't trust Alana right away, but once you're instigating romantic gestures, you shouldn't play coy with things like "current relationship status and dynamic." It felt deceptive and manipulative, yet Alana's confusion and distress were treated like the problem, rather than her being put in that position in the first place. It left me rooting against the entire relationship.
Alana and Nova's sisterly relationship was perhaps the strongest element, and I bought into the tension with them. However, Nova's personal arc was extremely uncomfortable because of its pro-anorexic spirituality that is glamorized to the point
Unfortunately, Ascension's concepts are much better than its execution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Eating disorder, and Ableism
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