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A review by the_bookishkat
One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Olivie Blake strikes again! In fact, I would argue even stronger if that's possible. I devoured her previous books The Atlas Six and The Atlas Paradox but One For My Enemy was absolute brilliance in a book.
The gradual building of the characters was spectacular - I absolutely loved the way we were shown the feuds between the two families through the POV changes that revealed what each of them was thinking and doing individually. Lev and Sasha are possibly my favourite characters that Blake has given us readers, which is high praise considering my love for the Atlas characters. I was truly invested in each of their storylines as we continued through the book.
The pacing of the book felt just right, I stormed through it quickly but it was just enough to make sure that I relished what I was reading without forgetting everything that was happening. The narrative of the book being set like a play with scenes helped the narrative progress quickly and also made it an easy read to immediately pick up and be invested in.
However, most importantly, the writing itself was beautiful. I haven't read a book in a long time that has made me want to write down quotes, but this book was exactly that. Blake's depictions of love, both the good and bad, is stunning and captivating - you immediately feel invested in the characters and want to experience it for yourself! The book's links to Shakespeare felt fitting given how Blake's writing seemed to be just as lyrical as the excerpts that were chosen.
Overall, this was a truly brilliant book and is certainly one that I would recommend to anyone. You'll be astounded at how quickly you become invested and will never want to let these characters go. Side note, the drawings in this book are yet again incredibly done and add an extra element to the book that really draws it all together.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for access to this book - I can't wait to see what Olivie Blake has in store for us next!
The gradual building of the characters was spectacular - I absolutely loved the way we were shown the feuds between the two families through the POV changes that revealed what each of them was thinking and doing individually. Lev and Sasha are possibly my favourite characters that Blake has given us readers, which is high praise considering my love for the Atlas characters. I was truly invested in each of their storylines as we continued through the book.
The pacing of the book felt just right, I stormed through it quickly but it was just enough to make sure that I relished what I was reading without forgetting everything that was happening. The narrative of the book being set like a play with scenes helped the narrative progress quickly and also made it an easy read to immediately pick up and be invested in.
However, most importantly, the writing itself was beautiful. I haven't read a book in a long time that has made me want to write down quotes, but this book was exactly that. Blake's depictions of love, both the good and bad, is stunning and captivating - you immediately feel invested in the characters and want to experience it for yourself! The book's links to Shakespeare felt fitting given how Blake's writing seemed to be just as lyrical as the excerpts that were chosen.
Overall, this was a truly brilliant book and is certainly one that I would recommend to anyone. You'll be astounded at how quickly you become invested and will never want to let these characters go. Side note, the drawings in this book are yet again incredibly done and add an extra element to the book that really draws it all together.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for access to this book - I can't wait to see what Olivie Blake has in store for us next!