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A review by kate_swan
City of Savages by Lee Kelly
2.0
I just couldn't connect with this book or most of its characters. City of Savages is based around a mystery of history that the two main characters, teenage sisters Phee and Sky, are trying to unravel while traveling through a desolate post-apocalyptic NYC. My main problem is that I never really cared to learn the answer to the mystery of what happened to NYC and what their mom's role in that might have been. This greatly diminished my drive to complete the novel. I also found the first major reveal at the 50% mark easily predicable. Predictable mysteries are even less inspiring.
I also disliked Phee to the point that I dreaded reading her chapters. In praise of the author, she did give Sky and Phee very distinctive voices, but Phee was so unsympathetic to every around her that it was painful to be inside her head. I also found the "love triangle" shallow and uninspiring. Ryder wasn't compelling and it seemed unbelievable that a boy could so easily and quickly come between two sisters, especially these two sisters in this circumstance.
When I was younger, if I'd made it through 2/3 of a book I would have simply finished it on principle, but I no longer have the luxury of time. The writing is good, but I simply didn't care about the characters or the mystery enough. DNF after 65%.
I also disliked Phee to the point that I dreaded reading her chapters. In praise of the author, she did give Sky and Phee very distinctive voices, but Phee was so unsympathetic to every around her that it was painful to be inside her head. I also found the "love triangle" shallow and uninspiring. Ryder wasn't compelling and it seemed unbelievable that a boy could so easily and quickly come between two sisters, especially these two sisters in this circumstance.
When I was younger, if I'd made it through 2/3 of a book I would have simply finished it on principle, but I no longer have the luxury of time. The writing is good, but I simply didn't care about the characters or the mystery enough. DNF after 65%.