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tattedlibrarian's review
5.0
Fantastic dystopian read. The characters are interesting and the plot moves along at a good pace.
paisleypikachu's review
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This book was provided by the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Oh my, I didn't like this book. It's pretty rare that I don't have anything good to say about a book, and I don't like doing that, so while I type this review I'm going to try and find at least one good thing to say. But that might be hard, because I really didn't like The Ballad of Ami Miles.
The first thing I noticed, after a few pages into Ami Miles, was the utter lack of world building. Okay, so it's obviously the US after some bad stuff happened and now it's all a bit of a wasteland. But give me more. I've read that story before, so many times! Give me something to make it unique, to force my mind to picture it vividly. Women can't have children anymore? Details! Things are worse outside of Ami's sanctuary? Show me how bad it is? This is the kind of detail I need in world building right away, or my brain shuts off and I get distracted. Nothing in this world stood out, made me want to keep reading to learn more. By the time I was a third of the way in it still hadn't gotten any better.
And then there's Ami Miles, the titular heroine. I wanted to like her, I really did and I tried. But good grief, there was no voice. She was in a bad situation, had been brain washed her entire life, knew virtually nothing about the outside world she was being thrust out to. But reading her character, going through all of that, she was stiff as a board. There was no spark, nothing that made me root for her other than a general sense of, "Well, yeah, that situation sucks." And the "villains" were obviously the villains, trying to force some actually horrible things on Ami, but I never felt a sense of urgency. I was told they were bad, but never fully shown. It was frustrating to read.
Ok, so, have I come up with anything good to say. Maybe the second half was better? I don't know, I didn't stick around to find out. I think if you're really missing dystopian, like really missing it, you could maybe like this one. It reminded me a little of the vibe I got from Chaos Walking, but I didn't think it was nearly the same quality. I say this for every book though, and The Ballad of Ami Miles is no exception: if the synopsis sounds good to you, give it a try. Where's the harm in that?
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Oh my, I didn't like this book. It's pretty rare that I don't have anything good to say about a book, and I don't like doing that, so while I type this review I'm going to try and find at least one good thing to say. But that might be hard, because I really didn't like The Ballad of Ami Miles.
The first thing I noticed, after a few pages into Ami Miles, was the utter lack of world building. Okay, so it's obviously the US after some bad stuff happened and now it's all a bit of a wasteland. But give me more. I've read that story before, so many times! Give me something to make it unique, to force my mind to picture it vividly. Women can't have children anymore? Details! Things are worse outside of Ami's sanctuary? Show me how bad it is? This is the kind of detail I need in world building right away, or my brain shuts off and I get distracted. Nothing in this world stood out, made me want to keep reading to learn more. By the time I was a third of the way in it still hadn't gotten any better.
And then there's Ami Miles, the titular heroine. I wanted to like her, I really did and I tried. But good grief, there was no voice. She was in a bad situation, had been brain washed her entire life, knew virtually nothing about the outside world she was being thrust out to. But reading her character, going through all of that, she was stiff as a board. There was no spark, nothing that made me root for her other than a general sense of, "Well, yeah, that situation sucks." And the "villains" were obviously the villains, trying to force some actually horrible things on Ami, but I never felt a sense of urgency. I was told they were bad, but never fully shown. It was frustrating to read.
Ok, so, have I come up with anything good to say. Maybe the second half was better? I don't know, I didn't stick around to find out. I think if you're really missing dystopian, like really missing it, you could maybe like this one. It reminded me a little of the vibe I got from Chaos Walking, but I didn't think it was nearly the same quality. I say this for every book though, and The Ballad of Ami Miles is no exception: if the synopsis sounds good to you, give it a try. Where's the harm in that?
For More Bookish Content: Blog || Twitter || Facebook || Bloglovin'
jennybeastie's review
4.0
I have a soft spot for post-apocalyptic novels that center everyday life, so I liked this one. It's not a revolutionary book. It's not full of a huge amount of fast paced adventure. It's about a girl who leaves her fundamentalist childhood and discovers that things were not as she had been told. Not revolutionary, but quite satisfying. Particularly like the positive LGBTQ message, and the fairly utopian lake community.
Advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss.
Advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss.
bluesleepy's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
foreveryoungadult's review
Graded By: Stephanie
Cover Story: Unbreakable
BFF Charm: Big Sister
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: Coming Of Age
Factor: Dystopian World
Relationship Status: It’s Not You, It’s Me
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Unbreakable
BFF Charm: Big Sister
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: Coming Of Age
Factor: Dystopian World
Relationship Status: It’s Not You, It’s Me
Read the full book report here.
maggieswitzer's review
4.0
Post-Apocalypse, queer, coming of age story that is actually pretty sweet? Like Ami is leaving a fundamentalist compound, and there's definitely a few growing pains when she reaches a new community, but mostly she takes to new ideas and thoughts with open arms and only a little prompting, so it's cute, not like angsty depressing. Her and Jessie are so cute.
danab913's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
celia_opp's review
dark
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
samanthapearl's review
5.0
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
First and foremost, I loved this book! This is definitely one of my top 10 reads of 2020.
Ami is an innocent 16 year old girl who has grown up in a very isolated place. After "the change" most women became unable to have children, so when Ami was born she was considered a blessing. Now that she is of child bearing age her grandfather tries to arrange a marriage between Ami and an older stranger. Not wanting to get married and start having babies, Ami runs away in search for her long-lost mother. If Ami finds her she will have to decide if leaving was worth it, or should she return home to beg her grandfather's forgiveness.
I absolutely adored Ami. I think the author did an amazing job of showing her vulnerability, fear and bravery. You can feel Ami's emotions throughout the story. She learns and grows so much throughout the book and it's reflected in her character.
The story was paced perfectly and the flow was just wonderful. This is an absolutely beautiful piece of work.
I recommend this book to everyone. I can't wait to read more by this author. I'm officially a fan!
First and foremost, I loved this book! This is definitely one of my top 10 reads of 2020.
Ami is an innocent 16 year old girl who has grown up in a very isolated place. After "the change" most women became unable to have children, so when Ami was born she was considered a blessing. Now that she is of child bearing age her grandfather tries to arrange a marriage between Ami and an older stranger. Not wanting to get married and start having babies, Ami runs away in search for her long-lost mother. If Ami finds her she will have to decide if leaving was worth it, or should she return home to beg her grandfather's forgiveness.
I absolutely adored Ami. I think the author did an amazing job of showing her vulnerability, fear and bravery. You can feel Ami's emotions throughout the story. She learns and grows so much throughout the book and it's reflected in her character.
The story was paced perfectly and the flow was just wonderful. This is an absolutely beautiful piece of work.
I recommend this book to everyone. I can't wait to read more by this author. I'm officially a fan!
enchantedtoreadyou's review
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Omg. If you love a good cult story, PLEASE read this one! It's part cult, part dystopia, and everything I've ever wanted.
The Ballad of Ami Miles follows Ami, who is part of a cult. Her great-great-grandfather started this cult in a trailer park when a virus swept the nation, rendering most females barren. Ami comes from from foraging to find a strange man standing in her yard - her new husband. Ami's aunts and uncles help her escape to a safe compound - where she's hoping to find her mom who ran away 16 years ago.
I loved the transformation Ami went through. Her character was so compelling and felt so real. She reacted to things in a very real way. Can you imagine being sheltered in a cult then thrust into a lively community with all types of people?
This was set in the south, and boy it sounded like it! The slang and annunciations were right on point for Alabama.
This is a great story of finding yourself, and finding your chosen family. Plus it's set to the backdrop of a cult, so honestly what more could you want? 5/5 stars for this amazing debut! Must read.
Omg. If you love a good cult story, PLEASE read this one! It's part cult, part dystopia, and everything I've ever wanted.
The Ballad of Ami Miles follows Ami, who is part of a cult. Her great-great-grandfather started this cult in a trailer park when a virus swept the nation, rendering most females barren. Ami comes from from foraging to find a strange man standing in her yard - her new husband. Ami's aunts and uncles help her escape to a safe compound - where she's hoping to find her mom who ran away 16 years ago.
I loved the transformation Ami went through. Her character was so compelling and felt so real. She reacted to things in a very real way. Can you imagine being sheltered in a cult then thrust into a lively community with all types of people?
This was set in the south, and boy it sounded like it! The slang and annunciations were right on point for Alabama.
This is a great story of finding yourself, and finding your chosen family. Plus it's set to the backdrop of a cult, so honestly what more could you want? 5/5 stars for this amazing debut! Must read.